Title card for sustainable eating.

My foodie friends: Did you know that April is Earth Month? Yes it is, and April 22 is Earth Day! It’s also so much more than super cute baby earth DIY projects (which I admiringly adore). If you follow me on social media and in particular on Instagram, then you know I am really, REALLY into sustainable eating. The best part is that sustainable eating is not only really easy, but the food you eat tastes so much better. If you’ve ever thought about eating more sustainable, or want to learn what that even is, read on for some yummy farm to table pictures and my favourite 5 tips for Sustainable Eating and living a much more Sustainable Lifestyle for our planet.

Firstly, what does sustainable eating mean? It’s basically eating in a way that avoids depleting our earth’s natural resources. So, in a nutshell – real food that doesn’t overtax us, the earth, animals, or the planet. Wait…so do I need to go buy a farm? No, although who wouldn’t love a farm?? There are much easier ways that you can help – and trust me, one person can make a huge difference!

  1. Eating locally.
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I’m a huge farmer’s market buff. Eating from your local farmer’s market or signing up for a CSA is a great way to eat locally without even going out of your way to do so. You’ll be guaranteed fresh, local produce which means that these are not only environmentally friendly but definitely the easiest way to begin to enjoy sustainable eating. You can amp this up by bringing your own recyclable bag to your farmer’s market. If you want more tips for farmer’s market shopping, check out my post of tips for eating well on a budget. Read: Tips for Eating Well on a Budget

2. Eating seasonally.

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This definitely goes hand in hand with eating locally. Eating seasonal means that the locally produced goods didn’t require extra resources to be produced to survive in an environment outside of their natural climate temperatures. This means winter squash in the winter, strawberries and radishes in the spring and any other seasonal guidelines that are specific to where you live. This also means that your produce is coming right out of the ground as opposed to being reaped by farmers weeks ago and needed to be preserved for such a long time until it finally reaches your table. Read: Seasonal Produce Guides

3. Supporting local ORGANIC farmers.

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Noticing a trend? When you do one, you tend to be doing all of these tips. They are separate, but relate so well to one another. Supporting local ORGANIC farmers is completely different than just supporting farmers who are using pesticides on your products. Find a local organic farmer who you trust and support them! Buy from them, eat at their farm and tell others about them. For my 25th birthday I had a truly amazing farm-to-table eating experience which propelled me right back into eating organic as often as I possibly could and buying my produce from the farmer’s market (mine is also organic). Your food tastes so much better this way and you’ll feel great knowing that you are giving back to an amazing cause.

4. Supporting and purchasing from earth-friendly and earth-conscious companies.

Overhead shot of banana berry beet smoothie bowl with fruit and nuts on top.

(pictured: Banana Berry Beet Smoothie Bowl)

This is a big one that can make a huge impact, and is actually the least difficult one for you! Supporting companies that care about the environment and are doing their part to make the least carbon footprint means that in turn, the companies that are depleting the earth will get less support and in such a small move at your grocery store, you are helping the Earth. A company that I’ve supported heavily for over 5 years is Silk who is definitely going in the right direction when it comes to preserving the Earth, which is one of the reasons why I’ve been so proud to be a brand Ambassador. Their numbers don’t lie. Producing one carton of Silk uses 80% less water than producing one carton of typical dairy milk. Producing a carton of Silk generates 47% fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) than producing a carton of typical dairy milk.  In fact, plant-based products often require fewer resources than their animal-based counterparts to get them from the field to your grocery store. You can read more about how they are doing their part to help the Earth on their Resource Conservation page and via their super cool water infographic.

5. Growing your own produce and herbs.

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Admittedly, this is a slightly big one. Growing your own produce isn’t hard but it does take a bit of background knowledge or reading and some time and care. If you can though, you’ll begin to appreciate your food way more. That tomato took three months to grow! I found this also led me to buying ALL produce, not just “pretty” produce. This is a great way to get into sustainable eating since eating what you grow is making the world go around. Read: How To Grow Your Own Tomatoes

Friends, we only have ONE Earth, so let’s all make a plan to try and eat more sustainable this month, yes?

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk! Thanks for supporting the brands that help Jessica in the Kitchen! The opinions and text are all mine.