As we begin a much-anticipated new year, many of us find ourselves setting short- and long-term goals. If one of your resolutions is to eat better for your body and the planet, we’re happy to help—both with our family of delicious jackfruit products and with the following tips for eating more sustainably in 2021.
Eat more plants.
It’s easier for Earth to produce whole-food, plant-based ingredients than items that require more resources than soil, water, and sun. Our planet does this naturally—and you can even try growing your own food, if you have the space and time. But even if you don’t, you can make a substantial impact by filling your plate with more vegetables, beans, and nuts (and less of the processed stuff) at every meal.
Eat more variety.
Here’s another delicious (yet frequently overlooked) way to make our food choices more eco-friendly. When we rely too heavily on the same few ingredients for nourishment every day, it contributes to the overall depletion of those ingredients. By instead diversifying our diets to incorporate different foods, we don’t just make our meals more flavorful and nutritious; we make them more sustainable as well.
Eat less meat.
Whether you’ve been living plant-based for years or are new to the reducetarian movement, you’re probably familiar with the reasons to eat less meat. One is that livestock requires a massive amount of natural resources that could be redistributed if we only decreased our consumption. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to substitute meat for more eco-friendly alternatives (like savory young jackfruit!) to recreate familiar recipes.
Waste less food.
This one’s easy to understand, but a bit harder to put into practice. One silver lining of 2020 is that the difficult year allowed many of us to perfect (or at least improve) the art of meal planning. Training ourselves to be more intentional about the foods we buy—buying only what we need, and using everything we buy before it goes to waste—can have a profound impact on conservation.
Do some research.
We know we’re all super busy. Taking the time to thoroughly research the environmental impact of every product we buy is probably not a realistic goal. But we can still take small steps that will make a difference, like reading the ingredients list on packaged foods and opting for brands that have made a commitment to sustainability.
Ready to put these plans into action? Visit our store locator to find our products near you, and stock up on plant-based pantry staples to eat better this year.