“This magical, marvelous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey.” Joel Salatin
How often do we pause to think about where our food has come from and the journey it’s made? From the moment it’s sewn to the moment it’s harvested, from the moment it’s packaged and shipped to the moment we purchase, the moments we wash and prepare it, and then discard what we don’t need.
Food makes such an interesting journey and I’ve honestly been reflecting on this subject. Am I purchasing, eating and discarding food mindfully? Are my habits around food having any negative impacts on my body and the environment? Most definitely they are and there’s so many areas in which I can improve when I stop and reflect. We’re so busy in our day to day lives and obviously need to eat, and therefore the habits and actions around food are repeated on a regular basis.
This is something I really want to work on, as I am a flawed human who is learning but wants to improve! It can seem overwhelming once you start to reflect on what you’re currently doing, but maybe just take it one action at a time so that these habits eventually become second nature to you. I’m not saying I currently do all these things, but some actions to consider are:
For the environment:
- Using re-usable grocery bags
- Using re-usable straws
- Using re-usable bottles/coffee cups
- Politely declining extra plastic and napkins at restaurants
- Buying seasonal and locally sourced food as much as you can
- Recycling packaging
- Composting food waste
For your mind and body (I’m no expert but these are generally known to do you good!):
- Pausing, reflecting and having gratitude for you meals
- Avoid anything stressful/distracting while eating like working or watching TV
- Purchase organic food where you can (can be a few items to start)
- Aim for more vegetarian and plant based meals during the week (and this is great for the environment too!)
Small regular actions accumulate into larger results, whether those are positive or negative! Even picking one or two of these to commit to in the month will make a huge difference!
Please share any other suggestions in the comments! I’d love to learn more from you guys!