By Rachel Grubbe
2018 was not a great year for the environment. We experienced powerful hurricanes, raging forest fires, and rising sea levels. Our individual choices are impacting the entire planet. This is not a shocking revelation, but it needs to be said, repeatedly. The new year is a perfect time to reevaluate and modify your lifestyle so you can be more eco-friendly. We have some great new year’s resolutions you can try out this year.
Plastic packaging in supermarkets
BREAKING NEWS: Plastic is Bad
Okay, this is certainly not breaking news, but it is still worth mentioning. Hopefully, by now you have kicked your disposable plastic water bottle addiction, it’s 2019 move on, it's done. BUT, have you realized how many everyday items are in plastic containers. You know what I’m talking about, right? That produce that comes in a plastic bag, or is in a plastic box or is wrapped in plastic film. Bad, straight up bad.
This year when hitting up your local grocery store buy the items that are plastic free, or at least have the smallest amount of plastic.
Organic material: trash or plant food?
Are you throwing organic matter in the trash? Compost it. The biggest contributor to landfills is food waste; the EPA reports 22 percent of landfill intake is food waste. Composting is the recycling of organic material back into the soil. You don’t need to have a great big garden to compost. Composting is great for trees and shrubs you likely have in your yard. If you have access to some dirt and a shovel you can probably do this. Easy peasy.
2019 is the year y’all start composting, I can feel it.
But, how do you get protein?
Ah, the question I have been getting my entire adult life. I am no doctor, but I can tell you with certainty that cutting out or reducing meat from your diet will be okay. The meat industry is a BIG contributor to global warming. Look, meat is neat. If you want to wrap a hot dog in deli meat or whatever, you do you. But, maybe just not every day. Maybe your meat days are like Wednesdays and weekends. You could do that, right?
So here are my plant-based diet new years resolution suggestions:
Stop adding meat to things that don’t require meat
If you ask me spaghetti pairs with a nice leafy salad better than a meatball. So, when preparing a meal think does this need meat? Ham sandwich? Yea, it needs meat. Salad? Nope, skip the chicken.
Only eat meat for special occasions
If you go out to dinner and there are only two veggie options and they both sound terrible. Alright, get the burger. Holiday, birthdays, anniversaries, dinner with grandma. Eat what you want.
Just quit eating meat
Aren’t you hungry? Don’t you think a vegetarian diet is boring? So, do you just eat super healthy? No, no, and uh nah. Vegetarians eat a wide range of food. Including popcorn and beer, which are personal favorites/staples in my diet.
2019 is the year folks. You can make a difference by making good choices regarding the environment. Your decisions matter, they are impactful. Again for the people in the back… Your choices impact the planet.