Coffee And Bananas
For quite some time I have been thinking about the impact of my choices and how I can reduce the (negative) impact that my life has on the world. I know this seems like a massive headspace to be in but via a systematic, step-by-step approach I have been able to start tackling my beliefs, habits, decisions and actions one by one and as a result the changes I have made have been easy to make and have had big (positive) impact.
The impact my food choices have on the planet, on other beings and on myself has been a major focus for me for a long time and this focus made me decide to go vegan about four and a half years ago. Within the framework of veganism though, my initial priorities were myself (ie, my health), then the animals and then the environment, and in that order. As I've grown older and wiser across these last four years I have started to notice that my very good intentions were sometimes having very backward results and in realising this, my three priorities started to shift. Let me explain... Four years ago, as a new vegan I was eating protein powder daily that was made and sourced from the USA. I was eating bananas from the tropics, coconut products from overseas and I was eating tofu that came in plastic packaging, much like most of the food I was eating. Now you're probably aware that all these foods are usually staples in a vegan diet. The impact diet has on animals cause people to go vegan but we then don't consider as much, the impact our food choices still have on the world via the extreme food miles they require to reach our plates (coming via planes, huge cargo trucks etc all from very far away) as well as via the enormous amounts of plastic packaging they come in and this is really not good! In becoming more aware of these facts over the last year I have been trying to eliminate, as best as I can, the foods that come from overseas, and/or come in plastic packaging and/or take a lot of resources to produce (eg, protein powder).
So how have I made these diet/food changes and how can YOU do the same?
I identified the foods that I was eating that had high food miles and have made progress to eliminate them or swap them for something produced locally. The main foods for me included bananas, coffee and protein powder but there were a lot more. Other foods to consider include quinoa, cranberries and most spices.
The impact my food choices have on the planet, on other beings and on myself has been a major focus for me for a long time and this focus made me decide to go vegan about four and a half years ago. Within the framework of veganism though, my initial priorities were myself (ie, my health), then the animals and then the environment, and in that order. As I've grown older and wiser across these last four years I have started to notice that my very good intentions were sometimes having very backward results and in realising this, my three priorities started to shift. Let me explain... Four years ago, as a new vegan I was eating protein powder daily that was made and sourced from the USA. I was eating bananas from the tropics, coconut products from overseas and I was eating tofu that came in plastic packaging, much like most of the food I was eating. Now you're probably aware that all these foods are usually staples in a vegan diet. The impact diet has on animals cause people to go vegan but we then don't consider as much, the impact our food choices still have on the world via the extreme food miles they require to reach our plates (coming via planes, huge cargo trucks etc all from very far away) as well as via the enormous amounts of plastic packaging they come in and this is really not good! In becoming more aware of these facts over the last year I have been trying to eliminate, as best as I can, the foods that come from overseas, and/or come in plastic packaging and/or take a lot of resources to produce (eg, protein powder).
So how have I made these diet/food changes and how can YOU do the same?
I identified the foods that I was eating that had high food miles and have made progress to eliminate them or swap them for something produced locally. The main foods for me included bananas, coffee and protein powder but there were a lot more. Other foods to consider include quinoa, cranberries and most spices.
So far I have eliminated bananas and protein powder and am left with coffee, which I am still working on and I will succeed! What drives me on the idea of giving up coffee is my commitment to my values and knowing that they are more important than a personal desire for a hit of caffeine - it's all about perspective! Plus, I've only been drinking coffee for 3 or 4 years so out of my 24 years on this planet, I can surely go back to what I have done for most of my life - ie, just not drink it! It is still hard though.
Spices are another difficult one, but because I use them so rarely and in such small quantities I want to focus on the foods that feature most highly in my diet first. Some spices are grown in Australia so now I am making a point to buy these. The same goes for tinned tomatoes because a lot of them come from Italy, but you can make a simple choice to buy Australian ones instead...(But on another note, I want to try bottling all my own tomatoes this coming Summer which would be an even better choice because then you can avoid the tins!)
I identified the foods I was eating that came in lots of packaging and have made progress to eliminate them. The main foods here included soy milk, tofu, beans, chocolate and take away food. I eliminated all plant-based milks that came in cartons and decided to make my own almond milk instead. I don't buy tofu anymore. I am waiting until I can find it unpackaged in the deli section where I can purchase it using my own reusable containers but I haven't seen this as an option yet and so for now I just don't eat it. I buy the Loving Earth brand of chocolate because their whole packaging is home compostable (even the 'plastic' that the chocolate is wrapped in!) I also take my own containers each time I want to get take away for dinner (I eat it very rarely) and I do this if I am out during the day. I just leave a container and a fork and spoon in my backpack for these occasions or alternatively I eat at the place that is serving my food so I can use their plates, cutlery and glasses.
I have been trying to buy seasonal locally produced foods although a lot of the time foods are just marked as 'grown in Australia' rather than the specific state they come from which I find frustrating.
Locally grown means food that are grown/produced in Victoria and seasonal means foods that are ripe in the season that we are currently in. Eating locally takes care of the seasonal aspect because, for example, you can't grow tomatoes in Victoria in winter, and so therefore by eating locally, I don't have the option of purchasing tomatoes in winter because they just don't exist.
This is what I consider when I think about the foods that I was eating that came from overseas - our beautiful landscapes being filled with pollution because of my foods choices!
Another beautiful landscape polluted by completely avoidable food packaging choices.
Locally grown means food that are grown/produced in Victoria and seasonal means foods that are ripe in the season that we are currently in. Eating locally takes care of the seasonal aspect because, for example, you can't grow tomatoes in Victoria in winter, and so therefore by eating locally, I don't have the option of purchasing tomatoes in winter because they just don't exist.
I try and shop at my local farmers market or otherwise from reputable grocery stores and actively avoid Coles, Woolworths and Aldi. By doing this I am supporting local and seasonal produce as well as smaller farmers and vote with my dollar to say no to these big businesses who certainly don't have the environment in their interests.
My next step is to buy in bulk our dry goods like oats, nuts, flour and beans to avoid even more packaging and food miles! Yay! If you would like me to tell you where I am looking at getting my bulk goods from, just comment below! (I am aware that some bulk stores cost so much more than regular stores (?!) so I have some tips around still getting a good price.)
Buying in bulk means you're avoiding plastic packaging and you're reusing jars and containers you already own, rather than resorting to always recycling them and then buying new ones (more to come on the problems of recycling in a future post!)
These steps as a collective may seem daunting but I encourage you to try a new one each week or month and see what transformations you can make in your life!
For another post on avoiding plastic click here!
Do these tips inspire or help you? Let me know as I'd love to post more about things that you connect with and that help you live a better, sustainable life.
Love,
Liza
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