Can we still eat and live "green" without going to a health food store?

Question

Can we just go to a regular retail store? Can you give me some tips?

Answer 1

Sure, just go buy regular groceries like you always have and cook them in a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven that has to preheat for 30 minutes, then discharge its heat out into the house as it cools off, thus making the air conditioning run more.  And when you drive to the store, drive UNDER the speed limit instead of making jackrabbit starts.

Answer 2

It's getting easier everyday. For me the 3 concerns about food are how far it has traveled, what chemicals were used to produce it and how much packaging it's in.

I buy organic whenever possible, if you find that it isn't in your budget to go completely organic, there are a few areas that you should prioritize. I avoid hormones and steroids in meat and dairy products, organic certification means they can't use either. As far as produce I've read the thinner the skin the more likely to have pestide residue. The price of orgaincs seems to be coming down as the market grows, and some items are near the same price as conventionally grown items.

Food miles. I buy what is in season and grown locally as much as possible. I do most of my shopping at a framers market, but when I do shop in the store I look for local produce, at least grown in the USA. That applies to canned and frozen as well. Grocery stores are getting better about labeling origins for foods. If you have a choice of tomatoes canned in CA or Mexico, chose the location that is closer.

Reduced packaging. Packaging has 2 negative impacts, the first is obvious, more waste, the second is packaging can hide quality. Have you ever purchased a beautiful red steak only to take it home and find that it is brown on the underside. Meat is routinely repackaged to hide age. The meat is still ok to eat, but is less appealing. I buy from the butcher counter, it helps me avoid that styrofoam container and I'm hoping the butcher paper is more eco friendly.

I also make sure my bread is not double packaged. Why 2 layers of plastic? I buy many items on the bulk aisle, I have reusable bags, so there is no packaging. Single serving containers rarely make it into my house. I buy loose veggies, no bags of potatoes, plastic containers of tomatoes or mushrooms.

If you have school age children, invest in a zero waste lunch box. You will save money by not buying single serving food items and if your children don't throw away what they don't eat, you will be more aware of what they eat and what they don't. I've seen kids toss out everything but the chips, if there parents new that was what was happening, they would likely try to find something there kid will eat.

Another green concept at the grocery store is only buy what you need. Supersizing items is only cost effective if you are able to use the items before they go bad. Another benifit of the butcher counter, we are a family of 3, I don't have to get a roast what will give me left overs, that won't be eaten.

Don't forget recyled content paper products, things like toitlet paper, napkins and paper towels. I have also stopped buying disposable plates for outdoor use. I invested in a plastic set that should last me for years.

Answer 3

There is no such thing as organic any more the pollution that goes around the earth everyday keeps it from being truly healthy. We consume foods full of benzene's and toluene that are put out from jet aircraft and we breath and swallow this if you would like to find out a way to help the environment Google Jim Starry and see a person who has the solutions that will save the planet within 10 years we are working on the O'Hara airport expansion that will save 1 million gallons of fuel a day that will help our dependency on foreign fuel lets be realistic we are a society that uses fossil fuels I truly live green as possible my home is made of unrecyclable material and we use solar power and wind generation to have lights and power to run everything it works if I can do it any one can I am  blessed to live where alot of people are like myself in Crestone Colorado we live like this so our children see us doing this and maybe they will do the same but not everyone is doing this in America so we need to increase the awareness and tell more people about how to do it

Answer 4

Of course, you can. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Proctor and Gamble and several other companies are now exploiting the need of those who think they need to be green by making cleaning products that are "environmentally friendly"

Answer 5

Grown your own produce! Buy vegetable seeds from you local garden centre, sow the seeds in potting compost in seed trays or pots, make sure you do this in season it will say when on the packet!  Or if your too lazy to do that you could buy small vegetable plants and put them straight in the ground in your garden, or use an allotment if you don't have space.  if you water regularly and use fertiliser and environmentally-friendly pest control methods you should get a good crop, this is a very green way to live and there is no carbon footprint like when buying vegetables from the store where they have often been transported long distances.  Plus what you grow tastes better than store bought because it is absolutely fresh and the satisfaction of growing it yourself.

Answer 6

shop the farmers market, or grow your own.

many grocery store do have organic vegetables, ans well as canned organic products.

Answer 7

Organtic foods are easy to find in regular retail stores.

Answer 8

Absolutely.  Eat vegetarian and vegan foods (preferably not the heavily packaged ones).  Organic food is becoming common even in regular supermarkets.

Answer 9

go to regular stores and buy things produce locally .. if not locally then very close.

if you cant..

then dont drive to the store, grab your bike or walk.

what matters is to avoid foods that require too much transportation or too much energy when processed.

if you can´t go green on food, you can go green on transport or in toher aspects.

in the u.s is very difficult to be totally green, so y apreciate your effort, just keep going at it and sooner or alter youll find more ways.

Answer 10

If you want to live green, go live in the forest. The house you live in was made with trees. If you live in a house then you are a hypocrite.

You should be in the woods, no power (causes warming) and use leaves to wipe yourself.