We all need to make an effort when it comes to improving our sustainability but juggling a family with a busy life can make it feel like just another chore. To support you on your sustainability mission, here are some tips to help you succeed:
1. Cook from scratch (when you can)
A practical, sustainable habit is cooking a couple of meals each week and using the leftovers the next day. Doubling or even tripling the ingredients of a recipe and freezing the extra is another option. Anyone with young kids is probably doing this already! Once the kids get a bit older and are eating a wider variety of foods, flavours and textures - try and cook one family meal. If you can’t sit down and eat at the same time, this can be served in two sittings. Or if you make one large pot of one dish you can pimp it up and serve as different dishes later in the week e.g. bolognaise or vege bolognaise one night becomes a quick chilli or another night.
2. Grow your own
Growing your own fruit and vegetables makes a good family activity. Start with foods that are simple to grow in small spaces, such as tomatoes, lettuces and strawberries. Then progress onto more involved veg-patching, with potatoes and carrots. If space or time is limited, you could start by growing herbs on your windowsill or in smaller pots.
3. Reduce your meat consumption
Reducing the amount of meat we all eat is a crucial step in improving our sustainability. This can seem difficult but start by eating meat-free one day a week. ‘Meat-free Monday’ is a good source of information and includes a selection of recipes to try. There are lots of different vegetarian and vegan recipe books out there too – recent ones I’d recommend include ‘Veggie Lean in 15’ by Jo Wicks, ‘Veg’ by Jamie Oliver and any title by Anna Jones. Some children may be reluctant to try plant-based meals, especially if they’re not used to them. I've started talking to them about the benefits to the planet and their health by reducing their meat intake which has helped but might not be possible with the very young.
4. Get your kids cooking
Help your kids to develop their cookery skills to give them the confidence to cook from scratch. Hopefully, this will help them avoid becoming reliant on convenience and processed food when they fly the nest. From an early age, involve your kids in food preparation at home. Ask them to choose a family meal and let them play an age-appropriate role in
its creation. ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ by Amanda Grant is a lovely cookery book aimed at children with age appropriate tasks and recipes.