5 ways to shake up your food shop
When you have to go to the supermarket several times a week to stock up on food for your ever-hungry family, it’s easy to fall into a rut.
Rather than taking the time to consider whether your purchases are as healthy, sustainable, and ethical as you would like, it’s infinitely more convenient to grab the same safe, packaged goods time and time again.
If you're interested in making your food shop more nutritious, more sustainable, and more supportive of local businesses, here are a few steps to start you down the path to a healthier, greener dinner table.
Bulk buy the staples
There are certain products that will never go to waste, namely dry pantry goods, toiletries, and cleaning products.
Most major towns and cities possess at least one wholefoods or zero waste store, where you can go to stock up on pasta, nuts, grains and tinned goods. Some of these shops also stock cleaning products and select toiletries. Just google the location of the nearest bulk buy or health food shop to you, so when you do head to the supermarket, you won’t have to worry about stocking up on the staples, allowing you to make more considered choices.
Head to the market
Every city, town, and rural village in the country will host some form of regular market, where you can go to buy locally sourced, healthy food.
Look up the nearest market to you and check what dates it falls on. It makes for a great family day out, providing both you and your kids with an interactive education on food, environmental issues, diet and nutrition, and local farming. It’s also an opportunity to make yourself a part of the local community, with free samples to boot!
Buy natural wine
Look, we all love to indulge in a bottle of wine or three to make the weekly trolley dash more bearable, but many wines come with a big carbon footprint, additives, and processing aids.
You’ll do away with all of that if you choose to buy natural wine. Natural wine is farmed organically, with minimal intervention between vineyard and bottle, resulting in a delicious wine full of naturally occurring microbiology. Forest Wines have a wide selection available on their website.
Whether you're in the mood for a lip-smacking rioja or a cheeky prosecco, choose the natural alternative.
Plan your meals
Finding time to plan your family meals for the week and write up a shopping list may be difficult if you have a busy work and home life, but it is one of the most effective ways to limit overspending, prevent waste, and ensure you eat well. After all, how many times have you reached for frozen pizza, ready meal, or cheesy pasta as a last-minute resort?
Find a time during the week when your entire household can get together and plan your evening meals for the next few days. You can make it fun, going through cupboards, recipe books, and getting everyone to choose a meal made around a particular protein. You can then get them involved in the cooking of it, so it becomes a social activity, rather than another solitary household chore.
By planning your meals, you’ll learn more about food, try new things, and make mealtimes more enjoyable than ever.
Get your veg delivered
You want your vegetables to be as healthy and tasty as possible, particularly if you're trying to coax the kids into eating a mouthful of peas with their chips.
Plenty of online retailers provide veggie boxes for home delivery, full of locally sourced, nutritious, seasonal, plastic free fruit and vegetables. Compared to supermarket veg, it’s better for the planet, and better for your tastebuds, and will be much more appealing to even the pickiest child.
Making your food shop healthier and more ethical is all about preparation and making wiser choices.
