How to Live More Sustainably in Lockdown
These are the toughest of times and a drive for greater sustainability in your diet may not be forefront of your mind. But, as the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown forces us to reassess the way we live, what better time to give some thought to how you can live in a way that’s smarter, more sustainable and kinder to the planet? After all, we’re already driving and flying less, thinking more about our food choices and really appreciating the small amount of time we get to spend outdoors.
Keep reading for 5 easy food sustainability hacks that will make your kitchen a greener one, without using up more of your precious time, energy and resources.
1. Get creative with food waste: There’s often a crafty way to use up the odds and ends you have left over from other meals. If you’ve got sad vegetables wilting at the bottom of the fridge, you can still make a delicious soup (NB. You can find our easy guide to making the best chicken stock here). Did you know that Aquafaba, which is the liquid that’s in a can of chickpeas, can even be used in vegan cake recipes? There really is a use for almost everything!
2. Love your leftovers: One of the easiest ways to reduce food waste is, quite simply, to use up everything you’ve got – whether that’s meal prepping, making extra and freezing for another day, or using your leftovers to make something different as mentioned above. To find out more about loving your leftovers, and to take part in our three meal challenge, click here.
3. Shop Local: Shopping from local stores and producers is a key way to be living more sustainably, both now and when life returns to normal! Most towns will have a butchers or a fishmongers, and maybe even a fruit and vegetable shop, where you can buy food that has not only been grown on British soil (therefore a far smaller carbon footprint than food that has been driven or even flown over from afar) but is also supporting those local businesses. Find your local Sutton Hoo Chicken stockist here.
4. Grow your own veg: If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, balcony or access to outdoor space, why not use this lockdown as a time to experiment with growing your own vegetables? Tomatoes, radishes and some beans can be grown with very minimal space on a balcony.
5. Sharing is caring: If you have too much of a dish for you and your family, you are allowed to drop a portion off to a vulnerable neighbour, friend or relative under the lockdown restrictions (just be sure to stay 2 metres apart and don’t make more trips than you need to). If you have store cupboard items that you don’t need, food banks are still looking for donations – you can find a food bank to donate to near you on the Trussell Trust website (https://www.trusselltrust.org/). Sharing resources however you can is a win-win situation – it’s a great thing to do for others and it reduces food waste.