The Climatarian Diet: Eating Our Way To a Healthy Planet
Did you know that the food industry creates more carbon emissions than the transportation industry? We know that may be surprising, but it’s important to understand when talking about how to stop climate change and lower carbon emissions both effectively and quickly.
Knowing the big impact of the food industry on the climate, it’s critical to look down at our plates and to check what’s in our fridges, freezers, pantries, and even bins! That’s how the idea of the “climatarian” menu was born–r should we say “cooked”?
Would you like to live in a nature-friendly way simply by rethinking your daily eating habits? We can all start helping the planet one meal at a time!
What we eat (and how that food was made) has a huge impact on the environment. That’s why we need a diet that is considerate of nature: the climatarian diet! We invite you to join the community of people who are eating in a climate-friendly, nature-friendly, and healthy way.
How to eat like a climatarian?
There are so many ways to be a climatarian in your daily life. Before we mention all the possibilities, we want to highlight that it’s not all or nothing. Just try to do what you can, spread the word, and be consistent. That would help a bunch!
Climate-friendly food
That means any food that is produced in resilient food systems without disturbing the local environment.
A large part of the climatarian menu is plant-based, which means a lot of seasonal and local vegetables and fruit! The ingredients for your salad or soup are more fresh, delicious, and nutritious if they didn’t take a long flight from the other end of the world. Buying local and seasonal also reduces the carbon emissions from processing, packaging, and transportation.
Fish is an important part of a healthy diet, and sustainable fish is a vital part of the climatarian diet. Sustainably sourced salmon, shellfish, oysters, and seaweed protect ecosystems and populations from endangerment. Sustainably produced foods from oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes—also called “blue foods”—play an enormous role in feeding the world population in a nature-positive way.
At Kvaroy Arctic, our mission is to make food that’s healthy both for humans and the environment. That’s why we can’t stress enough how important it is to eat more seaweed, oysters, and shellfish that were produced as a part of sustainable aquaculture practices. It is a great way to support water farmers who take care of the oceans, while also growing quality seafood.
Beyond Blue Foods, you can also find legumes and whole grains on a climatarian’s plate. That includes lentils, beans, chickpeas, quinoa, oats, buckwheat, and many more tiny grains! They can do a lot for the climate and for your healthy protein intake.
Climatarians cut down on meat, swap from beef and lamb to fish and chicken, and choose sustainable meat sources from local and ethical farms. For those that want to keep the meat in their diet, meatless Mondays, meatless breakfast and lunches, or meatless weekdays can lower meat consumption. We recommend that you search locally for grass-fed meat and dairy products from animals that are part of regenerative farming systems.
The climatarian way of grocery shopping
The climatarian diet is not just about the foods we eat or what we avoid putting on our plates. It’s an overall conscious attitude towards food - what we buy, how we choose it, how we store it, how we cook it, etc. The climatarian way of eating starts before the food is on the table! It’s in all the actions we take beforehand. It starts when we head to do our grocery shopping.
Local and seasonal
By sticking to products produced locally and in season, we shorten the distance that our food travels (which lowers the harmful gas emissions from transportation). By supporting local producers or shopping at farmers’ markets and zero-waste stores, you can help reduce emissions and contribute to your local economy. Additionally, seasonal items not only taste better and are healthier for you, but they also require fewer additional resources, like refrigeration over a long period or special packaging, when compared to products available locally.
Climatarians read food labels
While shopping, keep your eyes peeled for eco-friendly options that are recyclable, reusable, biodegradable, and sustainable. By reading food labels, you can spot certifications and seals about products and businesses with greener practices.
Some important labels to have in mind when grocery shopping are
Avoiding food waste
As we mentioned earlier, the climatarian diet isn’t just about what we eat, it’s also about how we think about food, how we grocery shop, how we take care of our foods, and our overall attitude towards food. By avoiding throwing away food and finding creative ways to use our leftovers, we are taking a step ahead in fighting climate change. The more food we throw away, the more resources we lose, and the more methane is emitted into the atmosphere during the decomposition processes.
Reusable bags
Make it a habit to always bring your own reusable shopping bags - that will help to reduce throwing away plastic bags. Perhaps the most challenging part of using reusable bags is making sure you don't forget them at home. To ensure you always have one around, keep a few in your bag, car, or bike basket at all times, or use a foldable reusable bag that you can easily carry in your purse or pocket.
Packaging
Most fruit and vegetables don’t need plastic wrapping, and it’s starting to get banned around the world. When shopping, make sure to avoid foods in unnecessary packaging. Choose refillable or reusable options and zero-waste alternatives by using refillable or reusable containers. If you must buy plastics, check the number inside of the triangle to ensure it's made of recyclable materials—unfortunately, not every type of plastic is actually recyclable.
Are you ready to adopt the climatarian menu for your family and household?
You can make the transition easier by turning it into a fun game for everyone! Engage your children in the grocery shopping process by giving them the responsibility to remember bringing reusable bags and containers. Or start tallying points for spotting eco-friendly labels and products! Please, share your climatarian journey with us on social media by posting photos of the climate-friendly products, alternatives, and behaviors you support.
And if you need an extra pinch of cooking inspiration, we recommend this helpful page full of all kinds of climatarian meals!