Eating greener, eating cleaner: how to make your food more sustainable now

Many of us are keen to reduce our personal impact on the environment, and the conscious decisions we make about the food we buy and eat are a great way to start taking action for climate.

Here we look at how we can make our food choices more sustainable now.

E.ON
21/11/22
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Consider cutting down on meat

We’re all becoming more aware that what we eat not only affects our overall health and wellbeing but can also have an impact on the planet. Animal farming makes up more than 14% of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans1 and by choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint2.

In fact, a group of scientists have created “the planetary health diet” which recommends only 300g of red meat a month3, or roughly a single 10-oz steak. Instead, it’s recommended we get most of our protein from nuts and legumes, such as lentils and bean which for most of us means radically reducing the amount of meat we eat. 

Our E.ON and Marie Claire Change Maker and plant-based chef, Bettina Campolucci Bordi is on a mission to elevate accessible and affordable plant-based eating habits, by sharing simple sustainability and waste-free secrets via her vibrant cookbooks and online recipes.

Slash food miles

Eating locally and seasonally is another big part of solving the food puzzle. There's no sense in eating strawberries flown in from Egypt and packaged in three different types of single-use plastic when the world is battling climate change.

Choosing a seasonal, local veg box can help you to eat more sustainably, support local regenerative farmers, reduce carbon emissions, and vastly reduce food miles, food waste and food packaging waste.

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Choose sustainably grown food

There's a growing movement in the UK away from industrial farming towards regenerative agriculture that rebuilds the soil and captures greenhouse gases using natural, old-fashioned techniques.

Livestock that live primarily on pastures are an essential part of this sustainable farming system. Creating high welfare, pasture-based systems can help build soil fertility, restore or maintain ecosystems and encourage biodiversity4.

And seeking out food grown using more sustainable practices can only help the movement grow. For example, organic food follows strict standards and regulations to ensure that farms maintain the health of soil, ecosystems, animals and people5. 

Minimise food waste

The UK produces around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste each year6, most of it originally fit for human consumption. Some 70% of that waste comes direct from households, and 4.5 million tonnes of it could have been eaten7.

Old-fashioned housekeeping tips can help, such as keeping an eye on what's in the fridge, planning meals based on leftovers and not getting hung up on best-before dates. Apps like Too Good to Go help salvage restaurant food, while Olio lets communities share unwanted food.

Root to shoot eating can help save the planet and money alike, be it making pesto with carrot tops, cooking potatoes with their skins on, or adding broccoli stems to pasta or a stir fry.

 

From energy to food to fashion, there are many areas of life where we can take action for climate. And check out our Change Maker hub for more inspirational stories from people who are taking action for climate. 

1. BBC News: Climate change: Do I need to stop eating meat? 

2. The Guardian:  Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth

3. BBC News: A bit of meat, a lot of veg - the flexitarian diet to feed 10bn

4. Sustainable Food Trust: Sustainable Livestock

5. Soil Association: What is organic food?

6. Wrap: Why we need to take action on food waste