We understand how busy parents are and that the changes required for eco-friendly eating might add to your mental load. Packaged foods are fast, convenient and heavily marketed to us, but processed foods contain added salt, sugar, saturated fats, and other additives that we all don’t need for good health. In addition, food processing increases greenhouse gas emissions, and processed foods often come in plastic packaging. 

The good news is, there are many ways to improve your family’s nutrition and reduce your environmental impact without adding extra stress. For example, many nutritious, eco-friendly foods are quick and easy, require no preparation and come with minimal or no packaging. These include seasonal fruits and vegetables, nuts, and water from the tap. Kids can grab a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts for a filling snack, which takes no time to prepare. Leaving the skins on your fruits and vegetables saves even more time and reduces food waste. Fruits with natural packaging, such as bananas and mandarins, are great to throw in your kids’ school bag.

Some things take a bit of planning. For example, a homemade muesli bar or muffin. These are more nutritious and eco-friendly than pre-made packaged alternatives. For these foods, we recommend setting aside time to cook in bulk and freezing the items until they are required. Having them portioned out in the freezer is a good way to reduce food waste.

When choosing packaged foods, try to choose the most eco-friendly option. Become an Eat Sustainably member to get access to resources to help you choose the eco-friendly options in the supermarket, including fortnightly shopping trolley recommendations, instructions on how to choose, unbiased product reviews and more.