5 tips to make greener decisions at the grocery store

We all care about reducing our impact on the earth. You recycle and avoid needless waste. You leave the car at home and walk or take transit or bike whenever possible. However, when at the grocery store, making conscientious choices can seem less obvious. Fortunately, Ocean’s is here to help!
Here are 5 tips to make greener decisions at the grocery store.

Meal Planning

Meal planning may seem daunting at first. However, planning your meals in advance and making them in bulk is a valuable skill that is not only green, but will save you money and time! A good way to practice meal planning is to take a Sunday afternoon to meal prep lunches for the coming week. Start simple by prepping just one dish for the week in to get used to planning meal sizes. This beginner’s guide is a great reference to help you get started. As you get the hang of it, you can get more creative and do meal prep for breakfasts and dinners as well. What an efficient way to help the environment, your wallet, and your waistline!

Eat Sustainably!

Sustainable food is eco-friendly food. A good way to do this is to understand where your food comes from. When buying canned fish look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, which means that it comes from a sustainable fishing provider. In addition to meeting MSC standards, Ocean’s has created its Fish Tracker tool to see from where your fish was sourced. Eating food that is ethical and minimizes the impact on the environment feels as good as it tastes!

Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk is an often overlooked way to save money and be green. It is certainly worthwhile to take a few minutes and browse your grocer’s bulk section to get an idea of what they have available. Be sure to buy good reusable containers to keep your bulk goods in when you get home. Most bulk items are cheap and keep for a long time.

Buy Seasonal Produce

Buying seasonal produce has many benefits in addition to being eco-friendly, it is fresher and often cheaper than buying out of season food. To determine what is in season for your area, use an online tool like the seasonal food guide. A great way to spend an afternoon while getting seasonal, high-quality produce is to visit a local farmer’s market. Not only does this ensure you are getting seasonal produce for your meals, but it also supports the local economy.

Use Reusable Grocery Bags or Boxes

A really easy way to reduce your effect on the environment is to bring your own grocery bags or boxes with you! Make it easy to not forget them when you are wrangling the kids and the dog by keeping a few in the car and near where you keep your shoes. This will ensure that you can’t miss them, no matter how hectic your day is. Bringing your own bags has the added advantage of dropping a little from the total of your grocery bill. More green for you while going green!