Skip to content

When A Teen Goes Green

About an eco-positive lifestyle

Menu
  • Home
    • What is an eco-positive lifestyle?
    • New? Start here!
  • How to guides
  • Reducing negative impact
    • Veganism
    • Minimalism
    • Zero Waste
    • Sustainable Traveling
    • Sustainable and Fair Fashion
    • Intersectional Feminism
    • Circular Economy
    • The 9 Planetary Boundaries
  • Increasing positive impact
  • Inspiration
    • Recipes
    • Hotspots
    • Organizations and apps
    • Books, documentaries, films, series and podcasts
    • Books, Films and Series List
    • The Ultimate Zero Waste List
  • Personal
    • My Ideal World
    • About me and this blog
Menu
A salad at one of the vegan restaurants in Enschede: ETN

How to Make Sustainable Food Choices

Posted on June 10, 2019November 6, 2024

Last week I published a guide on how to buy sustainable clothing. Clothes are not something you buy weekly, at least, I hope not. But there’s something I do buy every week. And that is food. Food is something we all need and so we can reduce a huge part of our negative impact on the planet in that category. It can be difficult too, making sustainable food choices. But it does not have to be! Today I’ll share how to make sustainable food choices. 

Difficult at first

The past few years I’ve learned more and more about sustainability. And so, about food. But it has been a rough path frequently. I used to know some basic things, that a plant-based diet is sustainable for instance. That was straight forward. But, there are other things which I’ve found more difficult when it comes to negative food impact. Do I buy organic in plastic or non-organic without plastic. And what about food waste?

Hidden impact

Last year this maze changed for me, not only on the food aspect, but on my entire life. I’ve read the book ‘The Hidden Impact‘, which I also wrote a blogpost about. This book put so many things in perspective! You can read the post, but the book basically tells you which part of your life causes the most negative impact, in a top 10. And in this top 10, food is extremely important. So, the author dedicated a chapter to food. And that is what I want to share today. This information is not mine, it’s from the book. But, I’m sharing it since I feel like everyone should know. It’s become my guide.

There are basically five steps to consider when you want to buy sustainable food. I’ll walk you through these in chronological order. Point one is the biggest influencer on whether the food is sustainable and point five is the lowest.

1 | Plant-based

If you want to make sustainable food choices, you’ll have to go for a plant-based diet. Plant-based is better for the environment than animal-based organic products, than local animal-based food, than seasonal animal-based food. If you buy a product which is animal-based, 99% of it’s impact is caused by the fact that it’s animal-based. We can’t have a sustainable future without a plant-based diet being the absolute norm. So, the first choice you make. Meat, fish, diary or eggs vs anything plant-based? Always choose plant-based. Plant-based is always more sustainable. Always.

2 | Preventing food waste

Okay, so you’ve chosen any type of plant-based product. Next thing that is really important is that you save food. I know that in foreign countries dumpster diving is a thing, in the Netherlands not so much because they lock all the food which is thrown away by supermarkets or restaurants. But, there are more ways to prevent food waste. InStock for instance, is a restaurant that cooks with rescued food! Great to check out.

Also, supermarkets nowadays have a discount for products that are about to expire. Buy those! It does not matter whether it’s a coconut from the other side of the planet, flown here by plane. As long as it’s plant-based food that would otherwise be thrown away, it’s the most sustainable option. Because, otherwise all those resources would have been wasted. In the Albert Heijn they have 35% discount stickers for that. Or at a farmers market, ask if they have any food which nobody wants to buy.

3 | Local and seasonal food

Next thing on the list, is local and seasonal food. So, you’ve chosen a plant-based option, but there’s no way you can prevent food waste. Then you go for the local and seasonal option. The best way to do this is go to a farmers market. These people can tell you all about what’s in season and the farmers are usually close by. If you don’t have one of those, you can look up what food grow in what season. And then buy those. And check in the supermarket whether they’re actually local. Never buy pre-sliced or chopped food. This is never barely ever local.

4 | Organic

I was surprised by this one! Organic is at number 4. Which means that buying non-organic food that otherwise be wasted is better than ‘normal’ not yet to expire organic food. Same goes for local and seasonal, it’s better than organic. However, that does not mean it’s not important, at least to me. If you choose to buy local and seasonal at the farmers market, then go to the organic stand! The switch is relatively easy then. But, if you have to choose between organic coconuts from far away or local and seasonal non-organic strawberries, go with the strawberries. Are you getting it? The lower the number in this story, the bigger the impact.

5 | Packaging

And then, at the very bottom, packaging. This was quite a bummer to me, since I started this whole eco-positive lifestyle with a zero waste lifestyle. But as it turns out, it’s not the biggest part of the impact from food. Let’s say you buy package free meat or vegetables in packaging. The vegetables in packaging are way better. 99% percent of the impact is in the meat and just 1% in the packaging. So, I’d say zero waste is the perfect end. If you have a plant-based, about to expire, local and seasonal and organic product. Then it would be amazing if it’s zero waste. But, it’s not where you start.

There you have it, a guide on how to buy sustainable food! If you follow these steps, you’ll be fine. I thrive to buy things that are plant-based, about to expire, local,  seasonal, organic and zero waste. But, the point I’m trying to make here is that you don’t have to be perfect to make more sustainable choices. As I said, focus on the big things. If you focus on zero waste and still eat animal-based products it’s not the best way to spend your energy. You want your energy to make a huge difference, right? I’m not saying that the lower ranked criteria (like packaging) are not important, they’re just less important. To make things more visual for you: here’s the infographic from the book (it’s in Dutch though). It’s a tree. And you have to start at the base, the fundament.

how to make sustainable food choices in 5 steps

 

Examples

Now, I want to add a few examples to make things clear. If you have to choose between:

Seasonal, local and organic cheese vs. a pineapple from Costa Rica, choose the pineapple.

An organic avocado in plastic vs. a unpackaged non-organic avocado, choose the organic avocado. 

A bag of non-organic coconut pieces which has a 35% discount because it’s about to expire or a local and seasonal orange, choose the coconut pieces.

I think you’re getting it by now. Let’s do this! And again, all credits for this information go to Babette Porcelijn, she author of The Hidden Impact.

Did you know how to make sustainable food choices?

Yours sincerely,
Romee

60 thoughts on “How to Make Sustainable Food Choices”

  1. Linda - Zaailingen says:
    June 11, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Jaaa, die keuzeboom helpt mij ook enorm bij het maken van keuzes! Soms inderdaad wel anders dan je zou verwachten, maar daarom juist zo waardevol. En ook beginnen bij zero waste lijkt me prima. Ik zie dat veel mensen die dat als beginpunt hebben, snel de waarde inzien van alle dingen en dus ook minder snel voedsel verspillen.

    Reply
    1. Romee Hoeksma says:
      June 12, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      Klopt, veel zero wasters die ik volg doen al de andere dingen ook! Ik denk als je een beetje bewust eet je al die dingen wel tegenkomt. De keuzeboom is echt mijn go-to geworden want nu weet ik snel waar ik de snelste slag kan slaan! Ik kocht nooit dingen met 35% korting omdat ik dacht: shit, plastic. Nu doe ik dat dus wel 🙂

      Reply
  2. Winny Christiaanse says:
    June 12, 2019 at 11:06 am

    De app om je eigen impact te bepalen 🙂

    http://impact.babetteporcelijn.com/nl/#/

    Op 10-06-19 om 07:01 schreef When A Teen Goes Green: > WordPress.com > Romee Hoeksma posted: “Last week I published a guide on how to buy > sustainable clothing. Clothes are not something you buy weekly, at > least, I hope not. But there’s something I do buy every week. And that > is food. Food is something we all need and so we can reduce a huge > part o” >

    Reply
    1. Romee Hoeksma says:
      June 12, 2019 at 3:57 pm

      Thanks Winny, dit is de calculator voor je gehele impact, niet alleen voor je voedselimpact. Goed om te weten!

      Reply
  3. Pingback: Weekly diary #94: visiting a festival in Harderwijk and a cancelled Cube – When A Teen Goes Green
  4. Pingback: Exceptions I make on plastic – When A Teen Goes Green
  5. Pingback: Weekly diary #95: handing in my thesis and starting a Youtube channel – When A Teen Goes Green
  6. Pingback: All the cosmetics I own as a minimalist – When A Teen Goes Green
  7. Pingback: Weekly diary #109: Oktoberfest – When A Teen Goes Green
  8. Pingback: 2 Ingredient Vegan grilled ‘Cheese’ Sandwich – When A Teen Goes Green
  9. Pingback: Weekly diary #110: Repairing the light and bicycle chain on my bike – When A Teen Goes Green
  10. Pingback: Weekly diary #111: picking up trash while walking our dog – When A Teen Goes Green
  11. Pingback: How to buy sustainable in 6 steps (The Buyerarchy of Needs) – When A Teen Goes Green
  12. Pingback: Sustainable weekly diary #114: I went to see Dermot Kennedy in AFAS Live – When A Teen Goes Green
  13. Pingback: Sustainable weekly diary #115: celebrating ‘Sinterklaas’ sustainably – When A Teen Goes Green
  14. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #119: Bringing a lot of stuff to the thrift shop again – When A Teen Goes Green
  15. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #121: attending a Vedic cooking class – When A Teen Goes Green
  16. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #123: No school for the coming 7 months – When A Teen Goes Green
  17. Pingback: Zero waste DIY deodorant with 4 ingredients – When A Teen Goes Green
  18. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #126: a huge restaurant fail in Enschede – When A Teen Goes Green
  19. Pingback: My 5 biggest sustainability challenges at this moment – When A Teen Goes Green
  20. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #129: a weekend in The Hague and I’m moving out – When A Teen Goes Green
  21. Pingback: Weekly diary #25: I celebrated my anniversary – When A Teen Goes Green
  22. Pingback: Weekly diary #38: I bought all zero waste groceries – When A Teen Goes Green
  23. Pingback: Vegan taste test: Brie and Shrimps – When A Teen Goes Green
  24. Pingback: Zero Waste Vegan Recipe: Risotto – When A Teen Goes Green
  25. Pingback: Saving Food with The Too Good To Go App – When A Teen Goes Green
  26. Pingback: Have I Lived Eco-Positive the Past Year? 2020/2021 – When A Teen Goes Green
  27. Pingback: Sticky Tempeh Barbecue Ribs – When A Teen Goes Green
  28. Pingback: Zero waste DIY deodorant with 4 ingredients - When A Teen Goes Green
  29. Pingback: Starting a vegetable garden - When A Teen Goes Green
  30. Pingback: Low (plastic) Waste Concealer - When A Teen Goes Green
  31. Pingback: Sustainable Barbecuing - When A Teen Goes Green
  32. Pingback: Vegan Quinoa Salad Recipe | When A Teen Goes Green
  33. Pingback: Exceptions I Make on Plastic | When A Teen Goes Green
  34. Pingback: All the Cosmetics I Own as a Minimalist | When A Teen Goes Green
  35. Pingback: Have I Lived Eco-Positive the Past Year? 2021/2022 | When A Teen Goes Green
  36. Pingback: Weekly diary #109: Oktoberfest | When A Teen Goes Green
  37. Pingback: Vegan Grilled 'Cheese' Sandwich | When A Teen Goes Green
  38. Pingback: Weekly diary #111: picking up trash while walking our dog |
  39. Pingback: How to make sustainable purchases | When A Teen Goes Green
  40. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #119: Bringing stuff to the thrift shop again
  41. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #121: attending a Vedic cooking class
  42. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #123: No school for the coming 7 months
  43. Pingback: Food Cooperatives | When A Teen Goes Green
  44. Pingback: My 5 biggest sustainability challenges | May 2020 | When A Teen Goes Green
  45. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #130: Painting a wall sustainably in my new apartment | When A Teen Goes Green
  46. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #132: eating at vegan all-in restaurant Rozey's
  47. Pingback: Have I lived eco-positive the past year? 2019/2020 | When A Teen Goes Green
  48. Pingback: News + what you can do about it, week 43-2020 | When A Teen Goes Green
  49. Pingback: Weekly diary #110: Repairing the light and bicycle chain on my bike
  50. Pingback: Eco-positive weekly diary #126: a huge restaurant fail in Enschede
  51. Pingback: Have I lived eco-positive the past year? 2022/2023 | When A Teen Goes Green
  52. Pingback: Zero waste vegan cheese sauce recipe | When A Teen Goes Green
  53. Pingback: Zero waste DIY Deodorant | When A Teen Goes Green
  54. Pingback: Weekly diary #95: starting a Youtube channel |
  55. Pingback: Weekly diary #94: a cancelled Cube | When A Teen Goes Green
  56. Pingback: The Urge to Buy Cheap Food | When A Teen Goes Green
  57. Pingback: Zero waste groceries at Pieter Pot | When A Teen Goes Green
  58. Pingback: My 3 biggest sustainability challenges at this moment | July 2024 | When A Teen Goes Green

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search for anything

Want to get an update every time I post something?

Enter your email address to subscribe to my blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 272 other subscribers.

ABOUT ME

 

when a teen goes green

Hi! My name is Romee and I live an eco-positive life. An eco-positive lifestyle is a lifestyle with more positive than negative impact on beautiful planet earth. Compared to most people, I live extremely sustainable. I don’t fly, eat meat or animal products, buy only secondhand clothing, etc. On the other hand, I try to help others as much as I can by donating a big chunk of my income, donating plasma, donating poop (yes!), volunteering, etc. On this blog you can read all about my lifestyle with only positive impact. I also have a Dutch Youtube channel (@duurzaamleven) and Dutch Instagram (@duurzaamlevenro). If you have specific questions for me, feel free to ask me anything.

Yours sincerely,
Romee (she/her)

Here’s what I posted most recently

  • The Planetary Boundary Novel Entities
  • The importance of a sustainable mortgage
  • 4 podcast tips – May 2025
  • Vegan restaurants in Enschede
  • Why my partner and I divide the household expenses equally

Translate this site

Search for anything

MENU

  • Home
  • New? Start here!
  • How to guides
  • Veganism
  • Sustainable Traveling
  • Sustainable and Fair Fashion
  • Inspiration
    • Must listen
    • Organisations
    • Books, Films and Series List
  • Personal
    • What is an eco-positive lifestyle?
    • My Ideal World
  • Zero Waste
    • The Ultimate Zero Waste List
  • Intersectional Feminism
  • Hotspots
  • Recipes
  • About me and this blog
  • Minimalism
  • Circular Economy
  • The 9 Planetary Boundaries

Follow me on Instagram

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookies

Read my latest posts

  • The Planetary Boundary Novel Entities
  • The importance of a sustainable mortgage
  • 4 podcast tips – May 2025
  • Vegan restaurants in Enschede
  • Why my partner and I divide the household expenses equally

Subscribe by e-mail

©2025 When A Teen Goes Green | WordPress Theme by Superbthemes.com