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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Whole Foods has added an oil/honey/vinegar bar and that is really my favorite place. Not too expensive, get how much I want, and the stuff is not the typical packaged bland flavor
I always use reusable bags. My favorite thing at Whole Foods is the bulk nuts/dried fruits aisle!
I love Whole Foods! I always buy the frozen organic broccoli. That way, I’m not wasting the stems I won’t eat and it lasts SO long that I don’t worry about it going bad.
I love buying whatever produce is in season and also buying in bulk as well!
If I have the time, I like to walk to the library or the store instead of driving. I love Whole Foods hot bar. I would eat there every day if I could. I also like their organic produce, Fage yogurt, and their cranberry cookies!!!!
I try to eat all fruits and veggies in season!
I only walk to the grocery store – which has the added benefit of some exercise plus it’s my escape from the monotony of being a new stay at home mom!
I recycle, bring reusable bags to the grocery store and make my own at-home cleaners!
Recycle, reusable bags, simple household cleaners like vinegar and water mostly!
Fresh peanut butter!
I wash and reuse plastic baggies! Also, I’ve never been to Whole Foods! (college student budget-YAYYYY). This would be a cool one to win!!
I’ve switched to almost all green cleaning products and never forget my bags!
I always bring reusable bags and buy fresh produce!
I love the bulk section at Whole Foods, and purchase many dried products in bulk. I also try to shop for veggies that are in season. The farmer’s markets will be opening soon, so I’m excited for farm fresh veggies grown locally.
I always use reusable containers and never buy baggies or throw away things!
I am obsessed with the dried mango from the bulk bins at Whole Foods!
I love Whole Foods! I keep reusable bags in my car and use them overtime I go shopping. I love the Annie’s and Back to Nature Brands at whole foods. Have a great day!
*every time
I bike to and from work instead of driving!
We recycle as much as possible and always bring reusable bags!
I have a Whole Foods near work and it’s a go to spot for salads and lunch. I love the array of choices the salad bar offers.
I always bring my own grocery bags. Just make sure you wash them too since they can accumulate quite a lot of germs
I live in Manhattan so I’m always walking to and from the grocery store with my reusable bags. I try to buy frozen vegetables and fish a lot of the time because I find they’re fresher and it avoids waste (I don’t run the risk of things going bad!) I haven’t shopped much at Whole Foods but now there is one not too far away to try!
I always bring my own bags but if I’m truthful I’m really after their fresh baked cookies 🙂
Since I got pregnant and had our daughter 3 months ago, I’ve been cleaning more with vinegar solutions.
We regularly recycle and we always shop with reusable grocery bags.
I love going to Whole Foods and picking out new products to try, whether it’s a stinky blue cheese on display, a foreign-looking fruit, or a new flavor of a box of cookies made from natural ingredients. I’m like a kid in a candy store! 🙂
I bring my own shopping bags! And when I forget and have to get the plastic ones, I make sure to bring them back to be recycled at the store.
I’m a sucker for the hot bar and nut butters.
My whole foods sells little cloth bags for 99c by the bulk section so you don’t have to continuously use the plastic bags. I bought a few of those and use them for bulk and when I buy fruit/veggies.
We bring our bags with us and use their recycling system! We are trying to use greener cleaning products as well since there will be a baby in the house soon 🙂
Sort recycling and compost! Unplug unnecessary electronics
I automatically put my reusable bags back in the trunk of my car after unloading my groceries. I use them everywhere!
I mostly clean with vinegar!!
I use reusable bags and water bottles whenever I can!
Fun post- I green my routine by re-using any plastic or paper bags that I do get at the store when I forget my reusable bags. They are great for cat litter trash bags and to use to line mini trash cans.
I shop with a meal plan so that I only buy what I know we will eat that week and therefore not waste food. Also, when possible, I walk to the store instead of drive.
I’m crazy about recycling and always try to bring my own bags!
Hi Julie!
To green my routine I do the following…..
* Bring my own bags
* Buy “green” cleaning products
* Take one of my own water bottles to work to cut down on using so many plastic bottles
* Ride my bike to work at least 1x per week
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I recycle everything I can! I try to fill the recycling more often than I fill the trash.
I always bring my own bags for grocery shopping and I try to buy green products for cleaning and beauty supplies as much as possible.
We shop at our local farmers market.
I significantly downsized my trash “cart” (that gets picked up weekly) which helps me monitor and limit the amount of garbage I produce. We are planning on taking that a step further and composting our food waste in the near future.
I always keep my reusable grocery bags in my car so they are handy. We also try to choose brands that not only have good ingredients but less packaging. My favorite item to buy at Whole Foods is the freshly ground peanut butter!
Happy Belated Birthday! 🙂
I always try to bring my reusable bags with me to the store and recycle the plastic bags I get when I forget!
There’s a handful of items I only buy from Whole Foods- before we got one in my town, I drove 45 min to get these items: chicken, grass fed meats, fresh nut butters, certain bread and while I’m there, a hot bar container full 🙂
One way I try to “green my routine” by packing my lunch in reusable containers and a lunch bag rather than plastic baggies.
Always try and bring my reusable bags and hit up the bulk section first!
I bring my own bags to the store.
I love making my own ground nut butters at Whole Foods!
I am a fellow breastfeeding mama. I pump at work 2-3 times a day. To save plastic bags I wash my ziplock bag (that I use to keep my pumping comes and jars clean) out each night and reuse it the next day!! It’s a little extra work, but it makes me feel good!!