Good morning and Happy Thursday! I hope you guys are doing well so far today! I’m excited to be teaming up with Whole Foods Market on today’s blog post and chat about simple things we can all do to “green our routines” and be a little more environmentally-friendly.
Below you will find six simple ways to green your routine and there’s also a great giveaway at the bottom of this blog post that I think my fellow Whole Foods Market lovers will enjoy!
Six Simple Ways To Green Your Routine at Whole Foods
- Purchase Frozen Fish and Buy Sustainable Catch
As someone who loves almost any kind of seafood and prepares fish for dinner at least once a week, purchasing frozen and sustainably-caught seafood is a big one for me! While fresh seafood must often travel long distances by air, frozen seafood can make its way to retailers via a more energy-efficient mode of transportation. An added bonus is that modern flash-freezing means consumers still get high-quality seafood, often for less money than fresh seafood.
Additionally when purchasing wild-caught seafood, select options that are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or rated “Green” or “Yellow” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and the Safina Center to ensure that your choice is sustainable.
- Bring Your Own Bags
I have a feeling a lot of you already do this (at least I hope you do!), but bringing your own reusable grocery bags to the store with you is such a simple way be a little more environmentally friendly. Plus, many Whole Foods Market locations offer discounts for customers who bring their own bags into the store! Win, win.
Fun fact: It’s estimated that Whole Foods has kept more than 150 million plastic bags out of landfills since eliminating plastic grocery bags from their stores in 2008.
- Choose Greener Cleaners
I started to pay more attention to the type of cleaners we use at home when I was pregnant and am definitely more cognizant of our cleaning supplies now that we have a baby at home. Whole Foods Market’s Eco-Scale Rating System mandates full ingredient disclosure on all household cleaning products (<— something that is not require by US law) in an effort to help shoppers identify a product’s environmental impact though a color-coded rating.
The orange rating is the minimum rating, noting that products with an orange rating do not have ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns (such as phosphates or chlorine). Yellow-rated products meet even higher standards and green-labeled products are the top tier!
- Select In-Season Produce
This is another tip that is both great for flavor and for saving energy and resources! By shopping in season, you’re more likely to save money and enjoy deliciously flavorful produce while also purchasing food that has been harvested using less energy and resources during a time when it grows naturally.
- Shop In Bulk
Oooh the bulk foods section! I don’t know what it is about this section of Whole Foods, but I’m always drawn to it first. I love trying new foods and appreciate the way the bulk bins allow me to shop for the exact amount I want to use. They’re a great way to save money (I love buying chia seeds, nuts and nutritional yeast in bulk) and also cut down on materials and waste.
- Vote With Your Dollars
I cannot remember where I first heard this tidbit of advice, but it’s something I think about regularly when I am shopping. Whatever you purchase at the grocery store is essentially a “vote” telling brands that you like what they’re doing and want more of it. I would obviously prefer to see store shelves packed with food that is nutritious and produced with sustainability in mind and feel that by gravitating toward this type of food when I shop, I play a very small part in keeping the wheel running and encouraging the production of more responsibly-produced food.
Whole Foods Market Gift Card Giveaway
And now for that giveaway I promised you at the beginning of this post! One PBF reader will win a $100 gift card to Whole Foods Market. Sweet, right!?
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog post telling me one thing you do on a regular basis to “green your routine” or tell me one of your favorite things to buy at Whole Foods.
I will randomly select a winner tomorrow morning.
Good luck!!
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I bring my own bags! also much easier to carry 🙂
Reusable bags for sure! We also tend to buy in bulk-that includes meats! I figure buying a few pounds at a time and freezing the extras is super cost effective, and uses less packaging!
My 3 year old and I LOVE Whole Foods and go there weekly to stock up on fresh fruits, veggies , meat , yogurt ( whole foods is where we discovered Siggi’s ) and other household items. We love their “customer in training” shopping carts; my little one always feels like such a big girl pushing around her own shopping basket. It’s really a lot of fun when kiddos are involved in grocery shopping. Can’t wait until you and Chase get to do the same 🙂
I always bring my reusable bags to the grocery store and buy produce that is in season!
I always bring reusable bags!
I never knew that about frozen seafood, thanks! I love wholefoods a little too much. I tend to do a lot of bulk bin shopping.
I always bring my own bags. It’s such a simple thing and it goes a long way. And my favorite thing to buy? Sushi. Because…. sushi.
I love using my reusable bags when I shop and make my own floor cleaner by mixing vinegar, baking soda, and a little bit of Dawn together.
I place all of my veggies/fruit right into the cart avoiding the extra plastic bags!
My husband and I challenge each other to buy “one new to us fruit” each week at Whole Foods. Sometimes that means watching YouTube videos of how to best open (!) and prepare such fruits. it’s fun!
I bring reuse able bags to the store. I always buy from the bulk section, it’s irresistible.
I recycle and compost, in addition to bringing my own reusable bag to the grocery store. When I lived in Germany, my roommates would always reuse their Ziplock bags.. such a neat concept that I try to incorporate into my life as well 🙂
I always bring my reusable bags when i grocery shop!
Shopping at Whole Foods lets me focus on buying responsibly. I work to plan my meals so we waste less food, and we definitely believe in voting with our dollars with purchasing “greener” items!
I try to green my routine by bringing my own canvas bags when I shop (grocery shopping, but also other places!). I also love the vanilla Siggi’s yogurt, and it’s definitely my favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods! The acai & mixed berry flavor is also amazing!
I always try to remember reusable bags and shop in season!
I try to walk to the store instead of driving. Gets me some extra steps, and feels more green!
I buy in bulk!
We recycle and also I freeze food if before spoiling to use in other ways.
I keep a stock of reusable bags in the car so I actually use them more! And I love trying out new breads from WF. 🙂
I use essential oils to clean with!
Bulk bins and reusable bags of course!
Whole Foods Power Cookies after a long run are my favourite 🙂
I love the Chocolove chocolate at Whole Foods!
My favorite thing at Whole Foods is their fresh peanut butter.
We bring our own bags as you get charged $.05 a bag in Washington. Also try to walk or take the bus rather than driving.
I try to bring reusable bags to the grocery store, buy organic when possible and recycle everything. I also try to avoid things that come with lots of plastic packaging. When my daughter was small enough for the stroller I used to walk to the store too! Can’t really do that anymore 😉 She’s five and wants to ride her scooter!
My husband and I love whole foods salmon and their pizza. I have also switched to greener household cleaners after I found out I was pregnant!
Bulk spices are awesome to purchase here. i always love that the bags in the California one for produce now has compostible bags instead of the usual plastic.
I reuse my spent coffee grounds to fertilize acid loving plants in my garden. It works great and I feel much safer using it around kids and pets than traditional fertilizers.
Cheers!
We always use reusable bags when possible!
I always bring my own bags when shopping at Whole Foods – my local store gives a small discount per bag! One of my Whole Foods go-to’s is their canned tuna – it’s the least expensive wild caught option I’ve seen and it’s delicious.
Green cleaning products (often making my own). And recycle/reuse whenever possible!
I buy my shampoo and conditioner at Whole Foods! I also love their large variety of dairy free options 🙂
I always walk to the grocery store! I live close enough and it is active and green!
Cloth diapers are the main way we green our routine!
We use reusable bags and compost our food scraps.
I always buy fresh salmon for grilling at Whole Foods.
I always bring my own bags even when I am not shopping for groceries. My kids love to reuse things for art projects so try to keep as many containers and rolls as possible for them to play with.
I love the idea of voting with your dollars! I try to remember this every time I go to the grocery store.
One thing I do to green my routine is use reusable baggies and containers when packing my lunch for work and school everyday.
I spend way too long at Whole Foods every time I go!
If I want to indulge in a treat then I get their almond croissant – the best! Otherwise, I often purchase their pre-cut fresh coconut – also so good. I love that they have prepped produce items.
As for being environmentally conscious, I try to avoid buying products with a lot of packaging and I do my best to bring my own bags. If I forget, I reuse the bags, either for recycling (if paper) or garbage (if plastic).
Planning out meals and my shopping list in advance to ensure there is little to no food waste. And my shopping bags:)
I love love love the Whole Foods Hot Bar and Salad bar. It’s my treat twice a week!
I always bring my own bags and do my best to also reuse produce bags!
I always b ring my own bags.
I’m a weekly (sometimes twice a week!) WF shopper! One thing I do is avoid using the plastic produce bags if I can and just stick apples, bananas, onions etc straight into my cart/bag. I’m gonna wash them anyway at home!
The Fresh Seafood at Whole Foods is a great department! So is the Bakery. 🙂
I love shopping in season. It helps force me out of my comfort zone and the produce is always fresher.
I walk wherever possible!! Which is easy (and enjoyable) to do in Boston–in the summer at least!
I have a few rules that I try to abide by. I’m very good with using cloth bags. Not only are they way more eco-friendly, but they’re great to sling over my shoulder, like a purse, when I unload the groceries at home. Only one trip and I don’t break my fingers using plastic. I also keep a small cloth bag in my purse for those times when I need to stop for something after work or out running an errand.
I only allow myself one trash bag per week. It makes me think about what I’m throwing away more often.
And also, this may be TMI, but I recently bought a set of cloth menstrual pads. At first, the thought grossed me out, but really, it is not such a big deal. I have not used them yet, but I am kind of excited to try them out. I feel like I am 13 again, haha.
I adore Whole Foods and their fresh food/salad bar is the BOMB. A few summers ago, WF was offering Yoga on the Rooftop every Saturday. I’d go for an 11am class with some girlfriends and we’d stop by the food/salad bar after. Delish. Something about their blanched asparagus. They get it just right and I can never seem to duplicate their version.
I always bring my own shopping bags. I also love the bulk bins! Perfect for trying new things and getting just the right amount.