What does eating sustainably actually mean?

Have you ever stood in the supermarket aisle and felt lost? There are so many labels trying to catch your eye: organic, local, grass-fed, plant-based. If you’re trying to pick something that’s kind to the planet, it can be hard to know where to start.

If you find eating sustainably confusing, you’re definitely not alone. For one thing, people don’t always agree on what “sustainable eating” really means. Is it about lowering carbon footprints? Choosing organic? Lowering our meat consumption? Or something else altogether? When you're busy and trying to stick to a food budget, eating sustainably can feel overwhelming. 

This article explores a few different ways to think about sustainable eating, with simple examples to help you find what fits best in your life.

What does “sustainable” eating really mean?

When people talk about eating sustainably, we often think about the environment. For example, reducing greenhouse gases, protecting water, or avoiding food that’s linked to deforestation. That’s a huge part of it.

But here’s the thing. True sustainability means caring for the planet, the people eating the food, and the farmers who grow it.  As well as thinking about the environment, we need to think about our well-being. That means food should support our health, fit our budget, and be enjoyable enough to stick with. If eco-friendly eating leaves us feeling unwell, overwhelmed, or like we're missing out on delicious food, it’s not truly sustainable in the long run.

The problems with food and farming 

We’ve already made great progress toward a more productive food system. Today, the world produces enough food for everyone (even if it’s not always shared fairly) and we’ve learned how to grow more using less land.²

Now the challenge is to keep cutting down the water, chemicals, and greenhouse gases involved in our food, while still producing enough for everyone. At the same time, we need to protect natural spaces, so wildlife has room to thrive. It’s not going to be easy, but it is possible. And we can all be part of the solution.

So, what isn’t working with our food system?

It's all about the environment, health, and sustainability. Let's dig a little deeper. 

Sustainable eating solutions 

The good news is that simple solutions can help us make food and farming better for people and the planet: 

• Plant-powered plates
• Reduce food waste
• Avoid food that travels by plane 
• Eat more whole foods  

Let’s take a closer look. 

1. Plant-powered plates 

What we eat really matters, for us and for the planet. Meat can be delicious and full of nutrients, but it usually has a bigger environmental footprint than plants.¹⁰ The good news is, you don’t have to go fully vegan to make a difference. Simply eating more veggies, fruits, beans, and grains, and a little less meat, can give your body what it needs, like protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, while helping the earth, too. This shift can lead to significant health benefits and reduce the risk of various diseases.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Batch cook lentils or chickpeas, so you can add them to salads, soups, stews, or blend them with a splash of oil and garlic to whip up a tasty hummus dip. These little powerhouses are packed with plant protein.
• Stock up on frozen fruits and veggies, they’re often kinder to your wallet than fresh and just as nutritious. Plus, they make it super simple to toss some extra goodness into any meal.
• Try a simple swap: halve your meat portion and double up on veggies for one meal this week. Your body and the planet will thank you!
• Look for regenerative meat suppliers. When you do enjoy meat or dairy, choosing products from regenerative farms, where animals and the land are cared for, is a great way to support better food and farming. You can order grass-fed, regenerative meat online, or you can buy from a local farm in your community.

2. Reduce food waste

Approximately 30% of all food is either lost or wasted.¹¹ That means a lot of water, land, and energy used to grow and transport food goes to waste. 

Sure, we all have busy schedules, and sometimes leftovers get forgotten. But some simple habits like freezing meals or making soup with extras can help us use up more of our food. 

Tips to cut food waste and make the most of your meals:

• Learn to make a simple, adaptable soup to use up vegetables that are past their best. Almost any veggie works,  just boil them with your favourite spices and blend. You can even freeze extra soup for later.
• Build a smart shopping list that uses what you already have, to avoid buying too much. Need ideas? You can learn more here.
• Learn to store food well. Keep your fridge at the right temperature and know which foods go on which shelves, so they stay fresh longer. Find out how.
• Set up a compost bin at home. If you live in an apartment, you might work with neighbours to share one, or find a local company that collects food waste for composting. You could also look into small-space composting methods like bokashi.
• Keep a couple of chickens. They’ll eat your food scraps and give you eggs in return. 

Want to make sure your food isn’t taking a plane trip? Try these easy tips:

• Check the label. You can often find the country of origin right on the packaging. If you pick something from the same country as you, it’s really unlikely that it came to you by plane. 
• Go frozen for fruits and herbs. Frozen fruits like mango and berries like raspberries usually arrive by sea, while fresh versions out of season often get flown in. Herbs like basil and coriander also spoil quickly, making them more likely to travel by air. So look for frozen herbs, or consider growing your own in a pot. 
• Find local farmers or veg box schemes. Veg boxes are weekly or monthly deliveries of fresh, seasonal produce straight from local farms. Ask around: friends, your local butcher, or vegetable shop may have great recommendations. You can also search online for veg box schemes near you. It’s a great way to enjoy fresh produce while supporting your local community.
• Eat with the seasons. If a fruit or vegetable is out of season locally but still on the shelves, it might have flown in. You could download an app on your phone that helps you quickly check what food is in season. 
• Ask questions. Air-freighted foods aren’t labelled, so if you feel comfortable, you can ask your market seller, “I’m trying to shop more sustainably, do you have any fruit or veg that came by boat?”

3. Eat more whole foods

Whole foods are simple, natural ingredients that have hardly been processed, like vegetables, fruits, grains, pulses, eggs, and nuts. These foods are not only better for your health but usually have a smaller environmental footprint than ultra-processed foods. That’s because ultra-processed foods often require more energy, packaging, and transport, which can add up to a bigger impact on the planet.

Simple ways to bring more whole foods to your plate:

• Check labels. The fewer ingredients listed, the closer the food is to its natural state. If you spot long ingredient lists with ingredients that you can’t find in your own kitchen, it’s likely ultra-processed.
• Use whole food swaps. Try whole grain versions of pasta or bread instead of refined (white) ones, and swap processed meat substitutes for beans and lentils.
• Cook from scratch a little more often. You don’t have to change everything overnight. Just try making one extra homemade meal a week. If you double the recipe, you can freeze half for a quick meal later!
• Buy direct from farmers when you can. Farm shops, veg boxes, and markets often sell whole foods grown or raised by people you can chat with. It’s a lovely way to support local producers and learn about what’s on your plate.
• Make snacks count. Swap processed bars or crisps for whole food snacks like roasted chickpeas, nuts, fresh fruit, or homemade baked treats.

It’s okay if it feels complicated

If eating sustainably feels complicated, that’s because it is! For example, organic food is better for the planet in some ways (like avoiding synthetic pesticides and supporting soil health) but it can also use more land or produce lower yields. That means we’d need more land to produce the same amount of food, which can put more pressure on wildlife.¹³

A water-intensive crop like almonds or avocados might be grown in a way that’s sustainable in one region with plenty of rainfall, but damaging in another where water is scarce. There’s no single perfect way to eat for the planet. It’s impossible to keep all the different sustainability factors in our heads when we’re rushing through the supermarket trying to get our shopping done. 

That’s why (at least at first) it’s more helpful to take broad actions that make a big difference rather than getting too worried about all the little details. 

Remember, those high-impact actions for your health and the planet are:

• eating more plants
• cutting back on animal products
• avoiding air-freighted food
• choosing more whole foods 

These changes can benefit your health and wallet, making them a win-win. Remember: we don’t need a few people in the world eating absolutely perfectly. Instead, we need billions of us making small steps towards sustainable eating, which will add up to make a really big difference.