Practical advice for environmentally ethical grocery shopping

Are you looking for ways to be more ethical in your daily shopping habits? Here’s a brief guide to adjusting your food purchases.

• Some products are imported from sources where workers may be underpaid and exploited. When shopping for items like coffee and chocolate, seek out fair trade foods that respect the agri-food workforce.

• Buy in bulk or opt for products in minimal packaging. Avoid single-serving formats. Instead, choose foods in packaging that’s easy to reuse or recycle, like cardboard or glass.

• Choose organic and, ideally, local products. Organic foods are grown without pesticides and other environmentally harmful chemicals. In addition, they don’t perpetuate animal overpopulation through in¬tensive breeding practices.

• Limit your consumption of animal products by diversifying your protein sources. For example, buy textured vegetable protein to replace ground meat in some of your recipes.

• Only buy as much as you need. Moreover, opt for foods with small imperfections or items that will soon expire. To reduce your food waste, cook wilted vegetables and freeze the leftovers. You can also freeze items you won’t use immediately, like meat, bread, and prepared meals.

Look for ethical and environmentally respon¬sible products when you go grocery shopping. You’re sure to make some tasty discoveries.