HEALTHY GUT, HEALTHY PLACES

There are some more life-altering changes to your diet that you can make, such as going fully vegan or committing to growing more of your own food. And naturally, the greater the change you choose to make, the larger its impact can be. However, small changes to your diet, that being what you eat, but also what you drink, what you choose to buy and in what form, can also make a big difference when done collectively.

Below can be found some very doable actions that would go along way:

1. Eat what you buy and cut out food waste.

A crazy amount of food goes wasted every day. Up to 30% of food produced is wasted. For all the food saved, there is less need to produce as much, and fewer emissions produced in the process. And so, to save yourself throwing away food unnecessarily, have a think about some of the below tips:

• Plan ahead: Write yourself a shopping list every time you go shopping, so that you know what you actually need, as opposed to what you might need or want.
• Use the freezer: The freezer’s a great way to store leftovers from main meals so that you can have them later in time. Freezers can be great for getting more out of dairy items, and even bread.
• Be less choosy with what you eat: Some people may not want to eat something because of what it looks like or how they think it tastes. We would say, give it a go! There are many great apps out there advertising second hand food (TwoGoodToGo, Olio) and even more wonky shaped food which tastes just as nice (OddBox).

2. Avoid Plastic Packaging

Plastic is everywhere we look. And no more than wrapped around our food. But why does that have to be the case? There are plenty of ways to cut back on plastic. Next time you’re going to the football:

• Bring a reusable bag to carry around any bits you may buy at the stadium.
• Think twice about your lunch-on-the-go containers: Non-recyclable cellophane boxes and plastic wrappers are a by-product of the majority of lunches on the move. Bringing your own tupperware for a street vendor to put the food in, or even eating more at home, can save on a lot of plastic waste.
• Encourage your club to bring in a reusable cup scheme for any drinks you may want at the game.

3. Try some greater variety in your diet: a bit more veg and a bit less meat?

Buying and cooking meat can be pretty easy. But after a while it can also feel a bit samey. Adding more vegetables and plant-based options doesn’t mean sacrificing flavour, it can be a route into expanding your plate with colours, textures, and new tastes. Here are a few easy approaches to giving it a go:

• Meatless days: Dedicating one or two days a week to vegetarian meals. Lacking inspiration, there are a million and one chefs who put together some quality veg options online (@LaGomChef, @AlfieCooks).
• Buy seasonal: Mix up the vegetables that you do choose, by buying something seasonal or new each week.
• Give veg options a try at stadiums: Many clubs are putting a lot of effort into building out their no and low meat options on matchday. Don’t knock them before you try them.