From choosing, growing, buying, sourcing, prepping, making, storing and enjoying your food and drink, we aim to share helpful information, which can support the health of you, your purse and the environment.
“Meal planning and prepping are some of the first things I recommend to families on Eat Shop Save and I plan my family meals for the week every Sunday. Not only does it help you save time, money and reduce waste, it’s great to do as a family and gets kids involved with food choices in a really positive way, especially if you let them choose some meal options on a certain day of the week.”
Brose our Food & Drink pages for some helpful guides, including:
Food production is not only the greatest driver of wildlife loss, it contributes to climate change and around 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food.
With a few small changes to our diet, we can all eat healthily and sustainably, in a way which is good both for both us and for the environment.
Here are some top tips for eating more sustainably:
1.Eat more fruit & veg
Fruits and vegetables are full of essential vitamins and minerals and their production results in the output of much less CO2 than animal products such as meat and dairy products. There are also much less issues associated with animal welfare too. Choose produce that is grown in the UK and when it is in season, this means there will be less CO2 emissions resulting from importing the produce and if it’s grown when in season, there will also be lower emissions than if grown with the help of artificial greenhouses.
2. Make responsible seafood choices
Try to diversify your seafood choices and avoid eating vulnerable fish or those that have high levels of by-catch – that’s fish caught unintentionally whilst trying to catch other fish. Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council logo too.
Here is a guide from the Marine Conservation Society on sustainable seafood and what to eat and avoid if you’re looking to eat more responsible seafood.
3.Reduce food waste
In the UK alone, 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted per year, costing £10.2 billion each year. Reducing food waste in your household can be simple – try to only buy what you need and buy loose produce, freeze what you can’t eat and make the most of your freezer, take a little time to do some meal planning each week, so you only buy what you need. Not only will you reduce your food waste, you’ll also save money too – winner!
4.Pass on the plastic
Try to reduce your plastic as much as possible when shopping for food and drink. Choose loose fruit and veg over pre-packed (this can help reduce waste too) and invest in some reusable mesh produce bags such as Lakeland’s Carrinet Veggio bags.
If you’re buying from a fresh meat or fish counter, most supermarkets will let you use your own containers, just make sure they are clean and dry.
5. Grow your own
Whether you have an allotment, a window ledge or a vegetable patch in your garden, there is always the opportunity to grow something. Kids often love getting involved too and it’s a great way to educate them on where their food comes from.
Growing your own fruit and veg does require a little time and effort but the harvest and the satisfaction is often worth it. Low maintenance foods to grow in the UK include courgettes, beetroot, chillies, dwarf French beans, strawberries, radishes, shallots and potatoes (which can actually be grown in pots!).