In this day and age, every single person is getting health conscious. A big part is played by social media, as they promote the “right human figure” and the “right diet”. And guess what, we all tend to believe these influencers, maybe because of the number of followers they have must validate their credentials. I cannot personally target anyone for falling for these traps because I have too been influenced by the daily Instagram posts and videos and the several healthy recipe tutorials that are uploaded. However, eating green vegetables or proteins and going to the gym every day isn’t the only way a person can start eating healthy. There is a way of making your food decisions not only affect you in a positive manner but also the environment.
Ethically and sustainably grown vegetables should be the first choice while going grocery shopping. Now you may wonder what sustainable vegetables are. Well, anything grown in a manner that doesn’t harm the environment or damage any natural resources can be said to be “green” vegetables. Food items like beef, lamb and pork are some of the biggest contributors to harming the environment. This is exactly the reason why people are shifting to veganism and to mainly a plant-based diet – a flexitarian diet.
Sustainability in farming practices have several methods as there is no clear-cut answer as to how someone can be environmentally friendly with their choice of food. For instance, meat produced via holistic grazing and water and energy recycling programs are considered to be extremely eco-friendly. Shopping at local markets and bazaars instead of big grocery stores can help reduce food miles and all the carbon emissions from vehicles needed to transport stock to the big stores. A more arguable way of extracting meat is from wild animals rather than farmed animal. Even though controversial, this is the better way of gaining meat-based products that intensively farming livestock.
Grass fed beef and other meat products that are kept away from growth hormones and other harmful antibiotics is the better way to go not only for the environment but also for the consumers health. The question that now rises is that where can you find these products? As a matter of fact, there is no universal label to look for while going shopping. Therefore, it is important to understand the different kinds of meat labels. Red tractor, pasture for Life, LEAF Marque, etc are just some of the certificated labels that can be found on the packages and can be used to identify whether the meat is organic or not. Like I said earlier, buying directly from a local butchers shop or a sustainable farm, is the most efficient way to pick the correct kind of food for yourself and the Earth.
Well Hung Meat Company is just one example of a source you can buy your meat from. They provide high quality, local and ethical meat and are completed organic. Brighton Community Agriculture are big supporters of sustainable farming and have recently launched two programmes that look after the breeding of sheep and pigs in local farms.
Well, here you go. If your eyes have been opened just like mine after reading this, run to your local markets or butchers the next time you decide to go on a crash diet. I know that is what I am going to do. Let me know in the comments where you buy your products from!