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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My new favorite Whole Foods buy: Halo Top ice cream! It is SO. GOOD. Plus they have so many fun favors (though Birthday Cake is my perennial fave). There’s been so much hype about it lately that it can be hard to track down, so when I see it in the freezer section, I stock up!
I bring reusable bags and take public transit!
I like to always have my water with me and try my best to remember to take my reusable grocery bags to the store. I love to buy all the things at Whole Foods but my favorite is the Cracklin Cauliflower or the Garlicky Kale from the salad bar.
oh how I love Whole Foods! I’m so lucky to have one so close to my work, so I usually go a few times a week for lunch and grabbing stuff for home. I always bring reuseable bags and love that they reward you for doing so 🙂 I also love the ability to know which produce items are local, so you know what you’re buying has a better carbon footprint.
When buying fruits and vegetables, I try not to use the small plastic bags and just put them in my cart unless I am buying many of one type. I always wash my produce so I figure that it doesn’t matter if it touches the carts.
My mom got me on the reusable bag train awhile ago and I am so glad she did. It’s like second nature now. And recycling, lots of recycling 🙂
I don’t really use paper towels, I use dish cloths and just wash them as needed!
We always bring reusable bags when we go shopping and recycle everything we can.
I love buying the fresh in-season produce at Whole Foods and trying out different yogurts!
We recycle the best that we can and I am also a huge fan of bringing my own bags with me and utilizing the bulk bins!
We always bring our own bags! They make good gift bags people can reuse as well!
We have two kitchen trash cans. It makes recycling a breeze!
My Husband and I always recycle. We do not use bottled water, we use refillable containers instead. We let it mellow when its yellow! 🙂 I own roughly 20 reusable grocery bags, and always keep a couple in my car just in case I need to stop by the store on my way home from work. Lastly, I try to ride my bike to places close to home rather than drive.
I refuse to buy fruit anywhere else, only whole foods organic fruit in our house! Also, I buy tons of nuts and dried fruits from the bulk bins. I go to whole foods about once every week to stock up on fruit and any other organic essentials!
Besides our own bags, wild caught or line caught fish is a must! I love sushi and all things fish, and I worry about our oceans.
Favorite product= Italian Pomegranate soda, YUM!
Being conscious of the types of meats and products we get, trying to eliminate processed foods, antibiotics and additives.
Reusable bags always!! I can’t stand when you see grocery stores (not WF obvi!) using a plastic bag per item or 2 :/
I always use my own bags. I keep some in my car, my husband’s car, and in our garage so we have re-usable bags with us no matter where we are!
My favorite thing to buy at whole foods are their buffalo chicken burgers (from the meat counter)! In the Spring and Summer months by husband grills these at least once a week and they are so good!
I have made a conscious effort to use less ziplock plastic baggies. I feel like we get so used to using them when we could most likely use a tupperware instead. Though I hate washing my tupperware, I feel so much better about using way less baggies.
We recycle everything! And I couldn’t go without my reusable bags 🙂
We always bring our own bags and my fiance is an avid recycler!
-Christine
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RECYCLE !!! My favorite thing to purchase at Whole Foods is also the bulk section goodies!
Recycling is a biggie for us! We love online shopping and usually filly up our bin with boxes! But we try to recycle anything they will allow us to its an easy way to help since ours comes and collects right along with our trash weekly. It doesn’t take any extra time to put in it the recycle container vs the trash!
I’m a sucker for the salad bar at Whole Foods!
We recycle everything. Our city just distributed recycling bins that are as big as the trash bins.
I love that our Whole Foods in Memphis carries lots of local brands.
I have got good at planning and meal prep. Our food waste has gone WAY down. I only buy what we eat that week.
Green Works cleaners & reusable bags. 🙂
I started using natural and organic beauty products when I started trying to get pregnant. Everything comes in these beautiful blue jars that I use over and over again throughout my home!
We always buy our seafood at Whole Foods. Living in the midwest, there is no better place to get fresh or frozen wild-caught seafood. Especially salmon, yum!
I have never been to a Whole Foods Market. Crazy right? But, they’re currently building one in my community and I CANNOT wait! I’m currently greening it up but using my reusable shopping bags and making some of my own cleaning products with items already stocked in my pantry.
I always bring reusable bags. In fact sometimes I find myself holding back from yelling at the baggers at publix…even when I bring my own bags they don’t pack them fill and end up putting one item into a plastic bag! So now I watch them like a hawk at the checkout while they are bagging. My husband thinks I’m crazy.
Another great tip, I stopped buying paper napkins. I have cloth napkins that I use instead. Just throw them in the wash and reuse. It also saves money?
I bring my own bags (also saves money and is super helpful if you have to walk home from the store like I do!) and I stopped putting all produce in the little plastic bags. I still do if it’s really wet or could leak somehow, but otherwise I just toss those apples in the basket!
I always take my reusable bags to the grocery store. They are so much easier to carry than plastic bags!
I bring reusable bags and walk to the grocery store.
I try not to eat any meat and dairy; industrial farming is the leading cause of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere!
Using reusable glass containers for everything!
I love the bakery and fresh flowers at Whole Foods!
Every Thursday or Friday, we have a “clean out the fridge” dinner which means we’re getting extra creative in the kitchen to use up food/leftovers before it goes bad. Definitely a great way to not let anything go to waste!
I always bring my reusable bags!
I love whole foods! In my house we try to us refillable water jugs instead of plastic bottles. We also love our reusable bags.
I like to bring my own bags and do my shopping that way. Also, when I can, I like to walk to Whole Foods because it’s only about a mile away!
I used to be so scared of the high prices at Whole Foods but after working with a local one, I really love them! Their sustainable seafood is a top priority for me (and who doesn’t love shucked SUSTAINABLE oysters for a dollar?) and I love their local brands that they carry, too. (DMV people who know about Cava Harissa? YUM.)
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I love love love the bulk bin section (great for
Nuts and chia seeds) and grinding your own peanut butter!!! As a fellow PB lover, I love knowing that the massive amounts of pb I eat in one sitting doesn’t have a lot of unnecessary sugars!
I keep reusable bags in my trunk for grocery store stops. Always always recycle and I have recently started using green cleaning products.
I started keeping the reusable bags in my car, that way I can’t forget them at home.
My weakness is the hot food bar at Whole Foods, it always puts my own cooking to shame; and as a family, who ever stops by WF HAS to buy fresh squeezed OJ and a couple of baguettes…. they are SO good!
I bring my own bags for groceries. I adore their granola bars located near the check-out. They are amazing!
I have switched to natural cleaning products and loving it!
Whole Foods – So many favs! I have to say I love their seafood… so fresh! Also love their ready to make pizza dough.
Buying bulk is a great way to reduce waste by eliminating excess packaging. Everyone saves!
I make sure I walk to the grocery store when I can! I live in D.C. so it’s pretty easy, but it feels good to not always use my car!
We LOVE reusable bags for EVERY store we go to! We also buy “green” cleaning products and have eliminated the harsh chemical products!:) Great giveaway!!!