By reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods and managing your coffee and chocolate consumption, you’ve established a strong foundation for healthier eating.
shop with intent
Dr. Lilly Lim-Camacho, a principal research scientist with CSIRO Agriculture and Food, emphasizes that a key strategy for consumers to maximize dietary gains is to “shop with intent.” Food waste contributes considerably to household waste, with over a third of all household waste stemming from it. Purchasing only what you need, coupled with simple practices like utilizing leftover vegetables and avoiding impulse buys, not only promotes a more enduring diet but also enhances health and economic efficiency.
she further advises that wasting unhealthy foods has a dual negative impact.”Not only do discretionary foods create more emissions, our bodies don’t actually need them,” she notes, suggesting that these emissions are essentially wasted irrespective of consumption.
For those seeking to delve deeper, applications like ecoSwitch, developed by the George Institute, offer detailed comparisons of carbon ratings for specific food items. This can be especially useful for making informed choices, such as selecting the most environmentally kind brand of tinned tomatoes or tofu. Research from the George Institute indicates that by simply opting for comparable, lower-impact alternatives, individuals can reduce their food-related carbon footprint by up to 26%.
Both Pettigrew and Lim-Camacho aim to encourage enjoyment of food and do not advocate for the complete elimination of occasional treats like burgers or chocolate ice cream. They concur that prioritizing personal health naturally leads to more beneficial choices for the planet, and vice versa. “It’s a win-win,” states Pettigrew.
“There is always going to be an environmental cost to our food,” Pettigrew acknowledges. “but it’s important for people to know that you actually can make an enormous difference if you want to.”
