What you eat can have an enormous impact on your carbon footprint: although it is a complicated subject and it is easy to get confused by all the labelling and factors to consider. To keep it simple: only buy what you will eat, reduce your food waste, but if you must throw food away, make sure it is composted to manage the methane emissions, and finally, any time that you can choose a more plant-based option, the climate and future generations will thank you. For more detailed ideas, inspiration, recipes and tricks, read on…
READ UP ON THE ISSUES:
This Greenpeace guide lays out seven reasons why eating meat is bad for the planet.
This interactive tool from the BBC lets you find out the environment impact of the foods you regularly eat. Have a play!
Going fully vegetarian or vegan is a big step, and every meal makes a difference, so read this BBC article here about the benefits of being flexitarian vs fully-plant-based.
The Vegetarian Society has a wide range of fact sheets on nutrition for both vegans and vegetarians, guides for families and teens, and on the environmental impacts.
Find our recent blogs: “Hassle-free Veganuary” and “Quick and easy ways to eat more plants” full of practical suggestions about easy swaps to make.
LISTEN: to local food writer Becky Alexander in this special #CountdownToCOP Radio Verulam podcast talking about Eating More Plants
WATCH:
Start with two short films from the BBC (5mins)
- this video gives a quick overview of the link between food and climate change (5 mins)
- and this one asks, “what if everyone in the world went vegan?” (3 mins).
Got a little longer? Catch up with this recording, created for SustFest21, “Change the World in Your Lunchbreak – easy tips to make your lunch more eco friendly” (44 mins).
FIND RECIPES:
There are so many great book books and websites to get inspiration from:
- Invest in a new cookery book if you need a couple of new ideas for evening meals. The Green Roasting Tin, Bosh!, and One Pot, Pan, Planet are great books for creative vegan and vegetarian meals.
- Local author and food writer Becky Alexander has written the Green Lunchbox.
- Find recipe videos on YouTube from BoshTV, Anna Jones, and far more.
- Find all the BBC Good Food recipes here.
- And the Meat Free Monday recipes here.
EATING OUT LOCALLY?:
Nearly everywhere has great choice now, and this is an easy way to try something new.
Wagamamas is brilliant for vegan options for choosy teens – but they do use a lot of imported products. Most mainstream chains have good vegan options.
St Albans has so many great independent restaurants, so why not try one? Tabure have a range of options. Megan’s do a very nice Earth Bowl and Lussmann’s do a great chargrilled cauliflower with chimichurri. Turkish and Indian food lends itself to plant cooking with flavour.
Pub lunch? Most have good options now, and The Wicked Lady has a full vegan menu.
You can get a fully vegan takeaway from Plantopia, or find tofu or lentil based dishes at nearly every Indian, Chinese, and Thai takeaway.
Come to the St Albans Vegan Market to browse the stalls and find something new.
Find a map of local options with reviews on the Happy Cow website (like Trip Advisor for vegans!)
COMMIT: Sign up to Count Us In today, and make changes that matter.
When you register, tick to say you are part of the St Albans Climate Action Network, and then your steps will be counted alongside other local people.
Replacing some of the meat, fish and dairy in your diary with more plant-based meals is one of the 16 highest impact steps you can take.
Resources on eating sustainably
Roast Vegetable Recipes
Great for festive occassions!
Thanks to The Cobbled Kitchen
The Cobbled Kitchen: Cooking from scratch; a more sustainable way to feed ourselves – better for our health and better for our planet. Bespoke cookery lessons in your own home!
Incredible Edible St Albans
Monthly ‘Come and Grow’ sessions at the Community Gardens at the Civic Centre and in Russell Ave. To volunteer, join the mailing list and book your space in advance. The gardens are always open during daylight hours – feel free to explore, to harvest food when ready and to help us keep them tidy.
Grow Community Sopwell
Community food sharing in Sopwell; in St Michaels;..
Food Smiles St Albans
FoodSmiles is a Community Benefit Society, based in St Albans District, which aims to encourage people to grow and eat more sustainable local food through building a community of food-growers. We make local food and food-growing more accessible, bring our community together, share skills and provide a new source of local food for St Albans.
