Eco-friendly habits to build on a budget: Food

By Kat Rhoads | Featured image: Kat Rhoads

Living sustainably doesn’t have to mean spending more. In a new Eco-friendly habits to build on a budget series, aAh! editor Kat Rhoads shares how food and diet choices can show your love for our Earth, even on a budget.

1. Make greener food choices

The food we eat has an environmental impact, but making more sustainable choices doesn’t have to mean spending more on groceries.

According to the climate action think tank Trvst, beef, lamb, and pork are among the most environmentally harmful meats, with the livestock sector contributing to almost 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. Fish farming can also contribute to water pollution through use of chemicals, affecting local marine populations. 

You can make greener choices by reducing the amount of red meat and farmed fish you eat and incorporating more plant-based proteins, such as tofu, into your diet. Chicken and turkey can also be lower-impact alternatives to consider.

2. Choose more sustainable food alternatives

Some everyday ingredients have a larger environmental footprint than others. Palm oil, sugar, cow’s milk, cheese, and white rice can contribute to environmental issues such as deforestation and excessive land use.

Fortunately, making more sustainable swaps doesn’t have to mean buying expensive alternatives.

Try using olive oil instead of palm oil, brown rice instead of white rice, or plant-based milk and cheese alternatives in your favourite recipes. You could also experiment with coconut sugar as a substitute for conventional sugar.

3. Reduce food waste

One of the easiest ways to make your diet more sustainable is to waste less food. With a little planning, you can save money while reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfill.

Try planning your meals around ingredients you already have at home, freezing meat or fruit you won’t use immediately, and turning food scraps into soup stock. Stale bread can be transformed into croutons, while restaurant leftovers can be taken home and enjoyed another day.

Cooking with housemates is another great way to use up ingredients and share the cost of meals.

You can also tackle food waste by purchasing surplus food at reduced prices. Apps and platforms such as Too Good To Go, Karma, and Olio help connect consumers with surplus food that might otherwise go to waste.

With a little creativity, reducing food waste can be one of the most budget-friendly ways to live more sustainably.

Do you have some tips to share? Write for aAh! and get involved with your student magazine