Consume responsibly and eat better with just a few tips.
Responsible consumption means applying zero-waste and eco-responsible gestures while enjoying better food! Here are our 10 favourite tips to get started and consume better, without wasting. Find out how to favour locally sourced products, take advantage of seasonal recipes and read your expiry dates properly!
Become a locavore! Let’s find regionally produced products
Supporting local producers by favouring short-distance purchases and consuming responsibly.
The first tip for responsible consumption is to adopt shorter food supply chains. Why? Because in addition to limiting the transport of foodstuffs, you also support local producers. Yay!
With organic short supply chains you choose healthier food, tasty fruit and vegetables and you do something for the planet!
Consuming locally in practice:
Thanks to the AMAP (Associations pour le Maintien d’une Agriculture Paysanne), you can subscribe to seasonal baskets directly from local producers. Consult the AMAP network, which offers a practical directory of AMAPs by region.
The platform ‘La Ruche Qui Dit Oui’ also allows you to support local agriculture by ordering your groceries without intermediaries. You can find fruit and vegetables, just as in the AMAPs, but also meat and groceries. It is also a real community where you can find events, tips and a friendly network.
Squash the stigma! Let’s eat “ugly” and badly sized products
Ugly fruit and undersized vegetables that are not sized and sold for less!
When you think about it, giving up on a carrot that is simply the wrong size for aesthetic reasons… That’s a bit silly, isn’t it? The most important thing is not the appearance of a product, but its taste! So we say no to wasting ugly fruit and vegetables!
Non-graded products in practice:
At Phenix we really hate discriminating against products on the basis of their appearance, so we have launched the first network of grocery shops that only sell “ugly” products! The ‘Nous anti-gaspi’ grocery shops give a second chance to ugly or slightly smaller fruits and vegetables, but also to all types of mass consumption products that do not fit into the criteria of traditional channels: slices of ham that are too small, cereals with badly printed packaging, or eggs that are a little too light (48gr instead of 53gr!). Tasty products that are, on average, 30% cheaper.
Listen to the planet! Buy seasonal products
Eat healthy seasonal fruit and prepare preserves.
Does eating strawberries in the middle of December seem normal? No! Those strawberries have to be grown in greenhouses or imported. They are polluting, more expensive, bland and less healthy.
Eating in season in practice:
By buying seasonal products, you are meeting the needs of your body at that time of year! So make strawberry jam in the spring and cook a good winter vegetable soup in January! And if you have a taste for strawberries in January: bring out the jams and preserves you made in the spring!
Start batch-cooking and cook your meals for the week!
Save money by preparing your meals for the week and using a shopping list!
It’s a great way to save money, there is nothing that gives you peace of mind like preparing your meals for the week in advance. This way you can avoid last-minute panic shopping or fast food.
Meal planning in practice:
Find small, healthy and economical recipes and make your shopping list once a week. You’ll be more efficient and save on journeys! We give you all our tips on how to save time by planning your menus on the blog, you’d be surprised to discover that it’s also a great way to waste less at home!
The golden rule: Never shop on an empty stomach
A simple tip to shop well and save money!
You may have heard this advice before, but we assure you it’s true: Never shop on an empty stomach.
Better shopping in practice:
When we’re hungry, we’re always more tempted – and often not by the best products. But when our bellies are full, we simply follow the shopping list without giving in to compulsive shopping. This is a very simple, but very effective tip!
Avoid processed food – take pride in using fresh and raw products
No more industrial products that are too fatty, too sweet and too salty!
Pre-prepared and industrial products contain more sugar, fat and salt and may contain additives. They are less rich in micronutrients and often too high in calories! For a price, which is usually higher on ready-made meals than on raw products.
Avoid industrial products in practice:
Choose fresh products that require a little more preparation, but are really better for your health and for the environment
Stop unnecessary packaging! Consume in bulk
When we buy commercial products, we realise the unbelievable amount of unnecessary packaging! Today, even some fruits and vegetables are bought in plastic.
Responsible consumption also means advocating zero waste. By favouring bulk purchases and products, you keep your local shops going and avoid the production of unnecessary waste.
Bulk in practice:
On our blog we’ve shared our list of the best zero-waste shops and grocery stores in Paris and there is something for everyone there@: food, wine and even cosmetics and cleaning products.
By the way, did you know that even vegetable peelings can be used? Whether it’s compost, soup or chips, there are plenty of tasty ways to avoid waste. On the blog, we give you our tips on how not to throw away stale bread!
Push the limits of our products! Understand expiry dates and develop a sixth sense
Not all your food products can be stored in the same way and the use-by dates are different depending on their nature. But some foods can be eaten without risk even beyond the given date! This is the case with dry products , for example, which can be eaten several months later. Honey never expires!
It is important to distinguish between the terms “use by” date and “best before” date:
BBD: The Best Before Date, such as “use by”, must be respected. If the product is ingested after the announced dates, there is a health risk! It is mainly fresh and meat products that are concerned: meat, snacks, dessert creams, etc.
MDD: The Minimum Durability Date (formerly known as the “Best Before Date”) is similar to “best before”. After this date, the product may lose its taste or nutritional qualities, but it is completely safe to eat. These are dry products such as pasta, rice, sugar, biscuits, canned food, etc.
For your fruit and vegetables, which do not have an expiry date, you just need to be careful and creative. Is a pepper starting to crumble? A banana is turning black? There are plenty of tricks to give them a second chance! Think of soups, quiches, pies, cakes, compotes, pickles and jams… All these very simple recipes will allow you to use fruits and vegetables that are a bit stale.
Let’s organise our fridge!
Taking advantage of special offers and low prices by buying in large quantities can save you money! However, it is important to freeze what you don’t eat quickly and to note the use-by dates on your packaging.
Keeping your fridge tidy in practice:
To avoid waste, remember to store your fridge properly with these tips:
- Place foods with short use-by dates at the front of the fridge and the longest at the back, so you don’t forget to eat them first!
- In the cold zone of your fridge (which may change depending on the model), store your raw and meat products: meat, fish, dairy products, cheese, etc.
- Cooked dishes should be stored in glass food tins and placed in the cool zone of the fridge.
- Fruit and vegetables should be stored in the vegetable bins in the fridge after being washed (they will keep longer!).
Trust the experts: the shopkeepers!
Ask your grocer or shopkeeper for advice on how to store and cook the food you buy.
It’s important to ask for advice beforehand. And who is better suited than your shopkeeper to help you?
