Part 2: 4 cheap ways to eat consciously.
We mistakenly think that eating consciously takes mental energy, effort and unexpendable expenses - it’s a whole lot easier to just run to your local supermarket or get takeout. But, it’s actually a lot more accessible than we think, it’s just finding out how.
The thing is, there’s conflicting research stating what’s good for us, and what’s good for our planet. That’s because food research is still relatively recent and is mostly funded by big food companies, such as Nestlé and Coke, who use it to try and “prove” something in order to sell their products (1). So, to make it less complicated, I’ve made a list of tricks I’ve learnt since being poorly (and broke) of how to eat consciously, and cheaply. Along with some Bristol-based, delivery services to make it that little bit easier for you:
shop locally.
Going vegan isn’t the only way to eat sustainably. And, as shown, isn’t always the most sustainable option. The best and easiest way to eat sustainably is to shop locally. Local greengrocers are cheaper than supermarket fruit and veg, taste better and you're investing your money into a small business that will be reinvested into your local economy. Good for the planet, people and your pocket!
A blessing to the lockdowns is that most local greengrocers now also offer fruit and veg box delivery service, a few in Bristol are:
buy ethical fish and meat.
Our stomachs aren’t supposed to eat meat every single meal, or even every single day. We need to let our digestive system rest. But, if you don’t want to go full vegan or veggie, switch to just having meat (or fish) as a treat and buy from ethical butchers or fishmongers. It’s better quality, better tasting, and is a lot better for your health.
Here are a couple of Bristol-based ethical fishmongers and butchers. The Fish Shop is a personal favourite of mine. They have some of the best fish I’ve ever tasted, and they offer a delivery box service for £30.00 - 50.00 that you can order weekly, bi-weekly, monthly….whatever suits your needs!
use health food stores.
Utilise your local health food store. The yogurt and eggs are sourced from local, organic farms and are often a lot cheaper than supermarket options. At my local store, Better Food, varied-sized eggs go for £1.60 and a large jar of yogurt for only £2.40!
Bristol-based health food stores:
delivery services.
I get it, not everyone has the time to shop around your local greengrocers or rummage through health food stores. But, there are now many delivery services available to make eating healthy and consciously easier for you.
sustainable ready meals:
Ethically and sustainably sourced meat and fish with all packaging made from plant-based materials! With FREE next-day delivery!
All Plants (vegan)
An all vegan, sustainably produced and nutrionally balanced ready meal delivery service with B Corp certification and 20% off your first order!
Ethically and sustainably sourced meat and fish, nutritionally balanced with no dairy, gluten or refined sugar - with B Corp certification and 25% off your first 4 orders!
(sidebar: not having B Corp certification does not mean that the company isn’t environmentally sustainable. The process is long and arduous, and some companies don’t have the time or resources to focus on acquiring one. But, I feel it’s important to add in which ones do.)
sustainable recipe boxes:
With keto, flexitarian, vegan, pescatarian and vegan options Green Chef provide you with nutritionally approved, 100% carbon and plastic neutral and sustainably sourced ingredients for you. It makes cooking that little bit easier, with a lot less food waste! With 40% off your 1st order and 25% off your next!
Another B Corp certified company, Hello Fresh not only helps to reduce food wastage by 21% they also invest in green initiatives and is the world’s first global carbon-neutral meal kit company! They offer 60% off your 1st box, 25% off for 2 months + 3 free gifts AND you’re able to pause and cancel your subscription at any time with no extra cost.
An incredible company that is both doing their bit for the planet, whilst making cooking and eating healthy and delicious food that little bit easier for you.
With home comforts, vegetarian, dairy-free, healthy options and even 10-minute meals, Gusto has got pretty much everything covered. It’s simple, to the point and B Corp certified. They offer 60% off your first box and 25% off your first 2 months!
BOX E is, without a doubt, my favourite restaurant in Bristol…maybe even just my favourite restaurant full stop. It’s a family-run, local business situated in a small shipping container in Wapping Wharf. All food is locally and seasonally sourced, so the menu changes almost daily, and owners Tessa and Elliot’s passion for food is evident with every mouthful. They also take great care in catering for all dietary needs, even supplying you with your own specialised menu. From meat eaters to vegans, vegetarians to low FODMAP.
An eating experience that leaves you with that honeymoon feeling of haze-y love in your tummy.
Another Wapping Wharf treasure, Root describes themselves as “a veg-led, small plate restaurant”. A mainly plant-based restaurant, with some fish and meat dishes, that serves up local and seasonal produce with the ethos “more veg, less meat”.
It’s more than just food that they serve at Root, it’s works of art that awaken the souls of forgotten tastebuds with every bite.
An award-winning, small independent, vegan eatery that is always bubbling with customers over the weekend (a sure sign for a good meal). Eat Your Greens is run single-handedly in Totterdown, evidently running on a passion for food.
All menus all 100% vegan, gluten-free and delectable.
Don’t be disheartened by the news persistently publicising our impending doom. There are some incredible technologies on the rise, meaning that more sustainable protein sources will soon be more readily available than meat (2) . As George Monbiot puts it (3):
'while arguments rage about plant- versus meat-based diets, new technologies will soon make them irrelevant. '
But, in the meantime, we do need to keep check on what we’re putting in our bodies. What we eat doesn’t just feed our bodies, it feeds our minds and it feeds our planet. Yes, the food we consume is the single best way to reduce our environmental impact over and above stopping all transportation worldwide. But, that doesn’t mean we all have to go vegan to do so. So, instead of shaming each other on our food choices, let’s focus on making more conscious decisions and support each other in the process.
references:
Spector, T. (2021) Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything We’ve Been Told About Food is Wrong, Dublin: Penguin Random House
United Nations (2018) Special Report: Climate Change and Land, Geneva: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (accessed 17 November 2022)
Allen, P. (2020) ‘Is a Vegan Diet Better for the Environment?’, BBC Good Food, 21 January (accessed 17 November 2022)