MAKE YOUR GROCERIES GREEN
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE AND PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU SHOP
‘Waste not, want not.” This was my grandmother’s mantra. God forbid she saw you scraping food off your plate into the trash. She smoothed out aluminum foil and reused it. She covered bowls of refrigerated food with plates, not plastic wrap. She rinsed out jars and bottles and saved them to store leftovers or used them as vases or to grow herbs.
We called her thrifty, but today we would say she was “living green,” something we should all be doing, especially when it comes to food-related waste. Here are some tips:
KEEP A RUNNING INVENTORY
Use pen and paper, download an app or tack a whiteboard to the refrigerator to keep track of what you need, noting as items run out.
Decide what you will eat in the next week or two and add those ingredients, with the amounts required so you won’t overbuy. Then make a sweep of the freezer, refrigerator and pantry and, before you finalize your list, consider making dishes that might use up those last bits, such as a frittata, soup, fried rice, stir-fry, tacos or casserole.
Keep in mind that a sell-by date is not the same as an expiration date, especially when it comes to condiments.
One final tip: When you make your grocery list, write it in the order that you will shop. Amy Gorin, a plant-based registered dietitian in Stamford, Conn., suggests starting with pantry items and non-perishables, then adding fresh produce and meats and ending with frozen items.
LIMIT YOUR SHOPPING
Cutting back on unnecessary trips to the grocery is especially important during the pandemic when we are practising social distancing, but also it’s a good habit to form. To do this, you’ll need to create a meal or cooking plan.
Sometimes you have to shop frequently, especially if you don’t have enough cash to buy large amounts of food or have physical or transportation issues that make hauling lots of groceries difficult. If you can, however, aim to visit the store or order your food through a service no more than once a week or even every other week.
BUY LOCALLY GROWN/RAISED FOODS
Look into nearby farmers markets, onfarm markets or community-supported programs. Many of these use limited packaging or allow you to bring your own containers. Often vendors grow or raise their food organically and humanely. And because the food is grown nearby, less fuel is used to get it to you.
Finally, grow your own food. No yard? Look into community gardens or grow food on the patio or even windowsill. Herbs may be the best way to dip your toe into this, Gorin said. “Fresh herbs are one of the things you buy and use just a fraction of, so growing your own is great for saving money, from a waste standpoint,” she said.
BRING YOUR OWN BAGS
Many of us are bringing our own shopping bags to cart our food home but still peel off bag after bag in the produce section. For produce, especially big items like bananas, put them directly in your cart. For smaller or more tender items, invest in reusable bags, such as washable mesh bags like ones sold for laundering delicates. Those can do double duty. When buying grains or nuts, look for bulk bins and ask your grocery if it is OK to bring your own containers. (Pandemic restrictions may not make this possible.)
READ LABELS CAREFULLY
Just because an item is labelled Earth-friendly doesn’t make it so. “Greenwashing,” deceptive labelling with words like “eco-friendly” or “all-natural,” abounds. Educating yourself about labels will be an ongoing process.
Eat less meat overall and, when buying it, to look for animal products that are fed more natural diets and humanely raised and slaughtered.
Buying these products may be more expensive, so consider eating fewer highticket items and adding less expensive, plant-based sources of protein, such as tofu, canned or dry beans or quinoa, to your diet, Gorin said.
CONSIDER THE PACKAGING
Look for food packaged in cardboard, cartons, cans or glass rather than in plastic or foam. And look for food in recycled or recyclable containers. Some grocery stores also offer biodegradable, package-free or package-light shopping. Look for options at litterless.com.
Avoid single-serve convenience foods, including beverages. Rather than sliced fruit and vegetables or mixed greens in plastic, buy whole produce. This may mean you’ll have more on hand than you need, so learn the methods for preserving, freezing and drying the ones you use most.
PUT FOOD AWAY THOUGHTFULLY
Use the first-in, first-out system for arranging the pantry, refrigerator and freezer, Gorin said. Move older foods to the front and fresher foods to the back.
Produce such as fresh herbs, garlic, onions, peppers and celery freeze well. If you buy a large package of chicken or pork, divide it and freeze it, so you can defrost just the portion you need.
RECYCLE RESPONSIBLY
Take advantage of recycling programs, but be aware that just because you send items to be recycled, it doesn’t mean they will be.
Recycling guidelines vary from community to community, and tossing in nonrecyclable items can mean even the appropriate ones get taken to a landfill. Most require that items be cleaned of all food residue.
Aim to reduce what you bring into your home. And take a cue from my grandmother by reusing the containers your purchased food comes in to store other foods.