Do you want to simplify your life and accept the challenge to shop to produce less waste in your kitchen? Begin your low-waste or zero-waste grocery shopping journey to minimize and change the way you shop for the better!
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If you want to get inspired with ideas on how to live more sustainably, then you have to check out the following tips about producing less waste with zero-waste shopping! You can make a huge difference in the amount of waste that you and your family produces by focusing on one area in the home- the kitchen! These tips are ways to motivate you to take action towards a plastic-free lifestyle. Learn more about how you can get inspired by zero-waste grocery shopping and get going with a realistic sample meal plan and shopping list.
I am showing you how to reduce waste, get healthy, and stay inspired with these easy tips to save plastic and take action towards a low-waste and zero-waste lifestyle with grocery shopping!
This post is all about zero-waste grocery shopping.
Inspiring Tips for Low Waste – Zero Waste Grocery Shopping
How Zero Waste Grocery Shopping Can Inspire You
Set a new goal this year to reduce your consumption and waste to be the change you wish to see in the world!
Every purchase you make is a vote on the way you want the world to be.
Do you want to simplify your life and accept the challenge to shop to produce less waste in your kitchen?
Change is never easy, but every little effort is so rewarding.Â
Begin your low-waste or zero-waste grocery shopping journey to minimize and change the way you shop for the better! In addition to reducing your waste, you will improve your health by eating natural foods, not the ones found in packages.Â
Motivation to Reduce Waste with Zero Waste Grocery Shopping
A little motivation never hurt anyone! Zero-waste grocery shopping can bring a lot of inspiration to how you live your life and influence others to do the same.
Start with the plastic-free mindset. Avoid buying anything in plastic, and instead, opt for glass and cardboard packaging.
Did you know that the average American family produces around 125 pounds of trash per week?! This amount alone is shocking and most likely underestimated. So what can you do to make a difference?
The kitchen holds the most potential for change because it is where we mindlessly produce the most garbage.
Therefore, creating less trash from the groceries we buy can significantly impact the amount of waste we make.Â
For example, buying whole fruits and vegetables, bulk beans and grains, and meats from behind the butcher counter eliminates many unrecyclable single-use plastics.Â
How Can Zero-Waste Shopping Inspire You?
- You will live a healthier life because you will be eating very well! That means no more processed, disease-promoting foods in your grocery cart. As a result, you might feel better, gain energy, and drop unnecessary weight. Win-win!
- Expect to see a measurable improvement in the amount of waste you and your family produce! As a result, you will reduce the number of times you take the trash out and possibly even reduce the need for trash services altogether.Â
- You will be saving a lot of money! Most of the money we spend on packaged and processed foods goes into the packaging costs for that item anyway. So, when you think about it, you are no longer just throwing your money away.
- Meal planning for your family will be fun. You might create a new favorite tradition of cooking together. That is always time well spent, and the memories will last forever. Meals are simple and easy to make with whole, natural ingredients, which means you will have more free time.
- You will be living a sustainable lifestyle! Sustainable shopping changes the way we live, and benefits the planet and ourselves!
A Realistic Meal Plan for Zero-Waste Grocery Shopping
Zero-waste grocery shopping has its challenges, but it doesn’t have to be extreme and difficult. With this in mind, I created a simple go-to meal plan that I have used with success.
Before you sit down to make a meal plan for your next zero-waste grocery shopping trip, here are some easy meals to try.Â
- Pan-roasted Herbed Chicken with Potatoes, Onions, Broccoli, and Brussel Sprouts
- Cajun Wild-caught Salmon and Greens with Sliced Avocado
- Mexican Bowls with Rice, Black Beans, Romaine, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole
- Chicken Chili via Instant Pot with Chicken Thighs, White Beans, Crushed Tomatoes and Jalapenos
- Dry-rub Chicken Wings and Mashed Red Potatoes, Steamed CarrotsÂ
- Salmon with Broccoli and Sweet Potato Fries
- Chicken Fettuccine Primavera Style with Lemon, EVOO, Capers, Carrots, and Broccoli
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Salmon Burgers and Potato Cakes from Leftovers with Greens, Green Olives, and Avocado
- Pintos, Corn tortillas, and Greens
- Old-fashioned Chicken Soup
- Freshly Ground Chicken Burgers and Oven Fries
- Muffins and Fruit
- Bagels and Nut Butter
- Big Rainbow Lunch Salads with Salmon, Shrimp, or Chicken Left-overs
Zero-waste Grocery Shopping Snack Ideas
- Frozen grapes, blueberries, and strawberries
- Banana smoothies with strawberries, almond milk, and orange juice
- Apples and Nut Butter
- Trail Mix (Pumpkin seeds, pecans, raisins, dark chocolate)
- Avocado Toast
Zero-Waste Grocery Shopping List
Meat Counter- Request paper wrapping only.
- Pasture-Raised Organic Whole Chicken
- Wild-Caught Salmon Filets
- Local Wild-caught Shrimp if possible
- Bakery
- Freshly baked bread, muffins, bagels, and sandwich rolls
Bulk Zero-Waste Shopping
- White, Pinto, and Black Beans
- Rice
- Nut Butters
- Spices: Cumin, Garlic, Onion, Chili, Sage, Oregano, Parsley, Dill
- Trail mixÂ
- Corn masa
- EVOO
Packaged
- Canned Organic Crushed Tomatoes
- Olives and capers
- Fettuccine in a cardboard box if fresh is out of the question
- Instant Mashed Potatoes in a cardboard box
Produce
- Romaine, Kale, Spinach
- Cilantro
- Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage
- Carrots and colored sweet peppers
- Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
- Red onion, yellow onion
- Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Avocados
- Lemons, oranges, limes
- Bananas, Apples, Berries
Zero-waste Grocery Shopping Meal Planning Tips
The following tips are helpful to save time on busy week nights.
Mindfully, spend a few minutes chopping and sorting fruits and veggies when you get the groceries. A little preparation saves time and energy in the long run.
- Chop onions and peppers to store in the refrigerator for later use.
- Soak beans the night before. Use a pressure cooker or instant pot.
- Chop a few bananas and freeze with orange pieces, berries, and kale for smoothies
- Shred carrots for salads, soup, and pasta dishes and chop some to steam later.
- Shred cabbage for tacos, burgers, salad, and chicken soup.
- Part out the chicken for meals before cooking and save the rest for soup broth.
Feeling inspired? I hope you get excited about all the benefits of grocery shopping with the intention of creating less garbage in the kitchen.
Kindly, leave a comment about your zero or low-waste journey below! I can’t wait to be inspired by your ideas!
This post is all about zero-waste grocery shopping.
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Learn About Sustainability
Knowing your food and taking responsibility for how it is produced is the best way to make a positive ecological impact.
You are reducing waste and resources while relying less on conventional agriculture and its use of pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate.
Most importantly, you will be eating the healthiest way possible!
Find out how to be more self-sufficient by gardening for sustainability.
Are you on a journey to be more self-sufficient?
Have you checked these essential gardening components off the list, yet? I would love to hear how it is going! Let me know about how gardening for self-sufficiency is working for you and your tribe by commenting below.
A NATURAL AND SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE PROMOTES HEALTH
We make decisions on the kind of life we want to live everyday.
Those decisions become habits. Create healthy habits today for a healthy mind and body tomorrow.
Learn tips to make better choices, live more sustainably, and make a difference in your health future and the health of our communities, country, and planet.
