Grocery shopping
Bags and Water
Carry a reusable sack for groceries. This is often the first step of many seeking to go green, and for good reason - it’s easy, inexpensive and really makes a difference. Both plastic and paper bags are bad for the environment, so choose a stylish canvas option and forget the throwaways.
Bottled water is bad for the environment. Just think: carting water halfway around the world in non-renewable bottles…and paying a premium for this!
Food
Buy local! An important part of buying local is making an effort to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season in your area. Although today's global marketplace allows us to buy foods grown virtually anywhere in the world all year round, these options are not the most sustainable.
By purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles, your food dollar goes directly to the farmer, and you will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.
Check out here to find out when produce is in season in SoCal area.
- Eat healthy snack
Vending machine candy bars and chip packs are tasty, but they aren’t healthy for you; and processed snacks are terrible for the planet. They represent the ultimate in wasteful, unsustainable consumption. The shelf-stable ingredients are often genetically and chemically modified with no regard for nutrition, food miles, or sustainability. Make a point of snacking on whole, fresh, organic treats like almonds, apples and organic string cheese.
- Eat fish that is sustainable.
Carry the Seafood Watch pocket guide with you and consult it when you go to restaurants or grocery stores in order to make selections from healthy, thriving sources.
Avoid farm raised salmon that is not certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as they can be detrimental to wild salmon. And do not buy bill fish (swordfish etc.). Their stocks are dangerously depleted.
- Shop at farmers’ markets
Farmers' markets give all the profits to farmers, rather than large conglomerates, and farmers’ markets typically offer fresher, healthier fare, even if it is not always organic. (Many small farmers cannot afford organic certification but raise their produce in organic methods regardless.) Nearly every city has a farmers’ market, and if you show up before closing you’re bound to get delicious produce for next to nothing.
- A great resource for what we can do for environment by wisely choosing our food-- sustainable table