Peanut butter and other healthy foods from around the globe that we have grown to know and love can contribute to poor sustainability.
Clean eating is a growing trend amongst the animal lovers and health fanatics of the world. However, choosing to consume only certain products can be just as detrimental to the environment. For example, peanut butter generally contains palm oil, a major contributing factor to deforestation and the destruction of countless wildlife habitats.
Food products such as peanut butter contain carbohydrates and nutrients useful to those who cut out meat from their diet. In order to still feel like you are making an ecological and environmental difference, here are five ways you can eat and live sustainably:
- Meal Prep:
Preparing your meals the night before in reusable containers cuts down on packaging waste, but it also allows you to know exactly what you’re going to eat the following day without having to rely on food which may contain harmful substances.
- Shop local:
Local produce from farmers markets is more traceable and reliable for quality and freshness. When you get to meet the person who grew or cared for your food, it is easier to inquire about things such as pesticides and whether your chicken is free range.
- Moon me:
The Moon Cup, a product for menstruating women, is becoming increasingly more mainstream. A Moon Cup can be inserted during a period and used instead of numerous tampons and sanitary towels, which are unfortunately not biodegradable and are in no way reusable.
- Keep Cups:
As the majority of the human race depends on caffeine to function at some point throughout the day, an investment in a reusable Keep Cup can prevent countless Starbucks cups contributing to waste.
- Public Transport or Walking:
Ireland is one of the worst offenders for greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Using public transport, walking or cycling, can be a personal contribution to lowering these emissions.
Image courtesy of Kimberley Nanney at Unsplash