To celebrate and nurture the earth during Earth Week, I have been posting a few sustainable food tips on Facebook. I’m also including them here in this special Earth Day blog post so you can read them all in one place. Each of these tips is easy to implement, and I hope you take the time to try at least one of them. Thank you for helping to make the world a little better!
Earth Week tip #1 – Use reusable produce bags!
Reduce single-use plastic waste by bringing your own reusable produce bags to the grocery store, food co-op, and farmers market. You can choose from a variety of styles, but I prefer cotton drawstring bags. These machine-washable sacks can hold not only fresh produce but also bulk foods like dried beans and popcorn.
Make your own from old t-shirts or sheets and scrap ribbon if you enjoy sewing. Premade bags can also be purchased at many grocery stores and food co-ops – or from Fairydiddle Farm! 
Earth Week tip #2 – Eat more veggies!
Eating a more plant-based diet might be the most effective thing you can do as an individual to help stop climate change. It can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and risk of chronic disease. In short, it’s healthier for the planet and your body!
Eating less meat can seem daunting if you’re used to having it every day, but you can start one bite at a time. Choose one day, or even just one meal, each week to go meatless. Or get creative about using less meat in each meal, such as making a chicken casserole rather than eating roast chicken.
Instead of focusing on reducing animal products in your diet, you can challenge yourself to eat more plant-based meals. It’s amazing what a difference mindset (adding vs. subtracting) can make!
Earth week tip #3 – Reduce food waste!
One-third of food produced does not get eaten. At every stage of raising and preparing it, food is wasted, contributing to about 8% of global emissions. What can you do? Quite a bit, actually!
First, always take inventory of your kitchen before going shopping, and write a grocery list based on what you already have and need to use up. Limp carrots in the crisper? Get soup ingredients! Wilting spinach and week-old milk? Quiche! And don’t forget about leftovers – they make great lunches. (Bonus: taking lunch to work is way more sustainable than grabbing fast food!)
When preparing a meal, don’t throw out any veggie scraps. Things like carrot tops and onion skins can go in a dedicated sealed plastic bag in the freezer. When the bag fills up, dump it in a stock pot, add water, and make vegetable stock!
Bits that won’t work for veggie stock can be composted – produce scraps should never end up in the landfill! If you have outdoor space, start a pile or purchase (or build) a composter. If you don’t, look into vermicomposting, which can be done indoors with no mess or odors.
