Reduce Waste with Bulk Foods

Buying in Bulk

My new favorite place to shop is the bulk foods section in the grocery stores. I am determined to change my lifestyle to involve zero waste. One step at a time. There is a ton of waste that can be prevented when buying bulk foods. Make sure to bring the reusable cotton bags that I shared in my previous post to avoid the use of plastic bags. Then when you start cutting out foods in a package and replacing them with bulk foods. You are ultimately making better choices for your diet. More wholesome plant-based foods and less processed foods that have hardly any nutritional value.

Become A Plant-Based Baker

Buying in bulk has forced me to be more of a baker and more of a creative cook. Since I am trying to stay away from processed foods. I had to find healthier ways to make baked goods to fulfill my sweet tooth. I started baking a batch of muffins, cookies, or banana bread every week in order to have a more wholesome treat. Buy ingredients like flour, chocolate chips, oats, millet, coconut flour, coconut flakes, coconut sugar, dried cranberries, dried cherries, walnuts, pecans, dates, etc. I use all of these ingredients to make a nutrient-packed goodie.

What I Buy

Other ingredients I like to buy in the bulk foods section that I often use for meals is rice, quinoa, sea salt, split peas, lentils, beans, cacao nibs, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, protein for smoothies. Plus an assortment of spices and herbs. And snacks like banana chips, nuts, granola, the occasional chocolate covered pretzels. Whatever your craving you can make it work with the ingredients laid out in this section.

Taking the First Steps

Eliminating most packaged foods from my life has made me more conscious about other areas that I need to work on. The packages that continuously build up in the landfill and oceans can be avoided. And I am dedicated to working hard to find more zero waste solutions to fit my lifestyle.

My goal is to eliminate all of my unnecessary waste. I want to be more conscious of the impact I am making on the environment and start making a difference. Start with short-term goals like making my own beauty products in reusable containers, and learn how to compost.

Being The Change

I see so much more I can do to encourage this change in other people’s lives. First by advocating change at my local grocery stores. To get people to think before they use a plastic bag. I want to start handing people reusable bags when they grocery shop and talk to my community about making drastic changes in their daily habits.

Buying bulk foods is just getting me a step closer to my dream of seeing more compassionate humanity. We have the capability to do so much good for this world but we have fallen asleep, not seeing that our actions have consequences. This planet and all of the living things attached to it can’t take much more of a beating. It’s time to wake up.  Take that first step with me to change the way we treat our planet.