3 Ways to Incorporate Sustainability into your New Year’s Resolutions
In a survey of >1000 Americans, close to 50% stated that their 2019 New Years resolution was related to healthy eating or diet (1). This statistic is not surprising as more and more North Americans are looking to enhance their wellbeing through a multi-faceted and holistic approach to health. However, as we look towards the future and think about the impact that our food and health behaviours are having on the environment in which we live, it might be time to ask ourselves — how can we dedicate 2020 to enhancing both our individual health and the health of the planet?
Earlier in 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission brought together a group of scientists from around the world to answer one question — can we feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries? (2). The result was a summary report with concise and actionable ways that humans can directly impact the earth through their food behaviours, and the work we need to do as a society to positively impact planetary health (3).
With that being said, here are 3 ways that you can make a difference by incorporating these actions into your wellness-based New Year’s resolutions:
- Adopt a Flexitarian approach
We’ve all heard of vegan and vegetarian but.. Flexitarian? One of the biggest misconceptions about sustainable eating is that it HAS to be exclusively vegan or vegetarian. This is simply not the case — flexitarian eating is mostly plant-based but still includes moderate amounts of fish, meat and dairy (3). Try filling your plate with the majority of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and vegetarian proteins (like beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.). Fish, meat and dairy should act as a garnish or accent and doesn’t need to be the focus of your plate.
2. Ditch the red meat
Red meat is a significant contributor to unsustainable food systems. Beef production results in 105kg of GHG emissions per 100g of protein, compared to tofu at 3.5kg (4). The EAT Lancet commission recommends consuming only 14g per day for a planetary health diet (3). For all you steak lovers out there — that’s only about ⅕ of a deck of cards!
3. Get serious about food waste
Food waste is an unnecessary burden on our ability to achieve a sustainable food system. Many of us can relate to buying fresh produce at the grocery store with every intention of making a delicious meal, only to find that it’s either left untouched or spoils before you get the chance. According to the report, we need to achieve a 50% global reduction of food loss and waste (3). 50%… let that sink in a little bit.
One way that you can make an impact is by buying in small quantities, and being realistic about what you and your family need (and will eat). Also try and set aside one day of the week to prep your meals. This will ensure that the food gets prepped and cooked before the chaos and busyness of week gets away from you and you’re left unloading the contents of the fridge into the garbage can by Friday.
One of the best things that you can do for 2020 is recognize that you can have an impact on creating a sustainable food system. Small behaviours practiced every day turn into long-term habits. What’s one way that you are going to get serious about sustainability for the New Year?
