Save the Planet & Live Sustainably

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Month: August 2022

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Plant-based Diet: Eating for the Environment

I believe a plant-based diet is crucial in protecting the planet. Research has shown that meat and dairy products fuel the climate crisis. So, the less we consume these foods, the more positive impacts we’ll have on the environment.

Is a plant-based diet expensive?

One argument about a plant-based diet is it usually costs more. So here I want to show you how economical a plant-based diet can be. And the easiest step to take is to start with breakfast.

Changing to non-dairy milk: cheap options

Nowadays, non-dairy milk and yoghurt have become more affordable. For example, the supermarket brands usually cost around £0.55 (1L), and even the branded ones, such as Alpro, you can get them for £1.00 (1L ) when they are on offer. Typically, chilled/fresh non-dairy milk cost more than long-life ones, but taste-wise, there isn’t much difference. So I always go for the cheaper option, the shelf-stored ones. Moreover, they won’t take up the space in the fridge.

As for non-dairy yoghurt, the supermarket brands are usually much cheaper. I think the important thing to remember is not to always go for the branded ones because that way, you would have a wider selection and can get the best bargains.

I always say that eating a plant-based diet is the secret weapon of enhanced athletic performance.

Rich Roll, ultra-endurance athlete

What do you need for a plant-based breakfast?

Once you have those non-dairy milk/yoghurts, it’s super easy to have a plant-based breakfast (or you can call it a ‘vegan’). My go-to breakfast is cereal with non-dairy milk or granola with yoghurt.

I like to have fresh, soft fruits with my granola breakfast. They could be peach, strawberries, raspberries, banana or kiwi, whatever soft fruits you have available. I know some people like to use dried fruit, but I found it’s a bit too dry for my taste. I prefer the moisture texture for breakfast. Besides fruits, you can also add some superfood powder, such as green/cacao boost or vegan protein powder, which are optional. In my coming post, I’ll share with you how to get superfood powders at a very affordable price.

Now it’s time to mix those ingredients: soft fruits, yoghurt, granola and superfood powder (optional). I think you know your appetite the best, so I am not going to give you the measurement for each ingredient.

However, I think it’s important to feel satisfied but not overly full after breakfast. So I would do portion control at breakfast, and the way I do it is to use the same bowl so that I know the right amount to put in the bowl. I would also usually have a cup of coffee for breakfast. And, of course, I would use non-dairy milk in my coffee.

With this recipe, you don’t need to add any sugar or syrup to make it sweet because fresh fruits and yoghurt have plenty of sweetness. Also, most granolas have added sugar already. Another nice thing about this recipe is that no cooking or heating is involved! The only bit of time you need to spend is chopping your soft fruits, but even with that, it will take you less than three minutes.

More ideas for a plant-based breakfast

I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try. You can check out the video below if you’re looking for more ideas for a plant-based breakfast. Feel free to leave comments, too!

john cameron KENd4EBdqow unsplash

Why Should You Reuse Plastic Bags & How

I don’t mean those carrier bags you get at checkout counters or food/freezer bags bought from supermarkets. I am talking about plastic bags for food packaging.

Unless you live next to zero-waste or free-from-plastic stores, most food you buy from supermarkets comes in a plastic bag. So, what do you normally do with the plastic bag once the bag is empty? Some of you might recycle it if it is recyclable, but most of them likely end up in the bin.

I encourage you to try to reuse those plastic bags because by extending their lifetime, you can use much fewer shop-bought plastic bags hence save money on buying new ones.

Reuse plastic bags from your grocery shopping

For example, the picture shows plastic packaging from vegetables and cereal bags, which are perfectly reusable. Just make sure:

reuse plastic bags
  • check if the inside of them is really empty, clean and dry.
  • If it’s not, wipe a bag with a dry cloth.
how to dry and reuse plastic bags

Sometimes I even rinse and hang them on my outdoor washing line if it’s sunny. They get dry very quickly. I often take those bags with me when I go grocery shopping. For example, when I buy loose vegetables/fruits, I can put them in my plastic bags instead of using those clear bags on a roll supplied by the supermarket. I firmly believe the fewer bags I use, the less they end up in landfills.

Some of you might argue that we can use paper bags (supplied in the store) instead of plastic bags. However, those paper ones aren’t necessary much greener than plastic!

It takes more than FOUR times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic bag.

Research conducted by the Northern Ireland assembly

Reuse frozen foods bags

Some frozen foods also come in plastic. And those bags can be reused, too, as long as we clean them properly before using them. The plastic used for frozen foods is usually quite thick and flexible, so they’re ideal for storing all kinds of things easily; you can even use them as carrying bags for picnic cutlery or plates.

plastic bags for frozen foods
Reuse plastic bags

Industrial pollution and the discarding of plastic waste must be tackled for the sake of all life in the ocean.

Sir David Attenbourgh

Why shouldn’t we just recycle plastic bags?

You might hear of the waste management of Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. So as you can see, recycling is the last stage. But unfortunately, it doesn’t address the core of our waste problems either. I only came to that realisation after watching a few documentaries related to the issue, such as the one below. I encourage you to check the documentary below to cultivate your knowledge if this is unknown to you.

https://youtu.be/oRQLilXLAIU

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