An interesting article from Carbon Savvy
Since most of us eat three times a day every day of our lives, food is a big part of our quality of life. To eat like kings and queens is to enjoy the very best food - so it needs to be fresh, delicious and nutritious. Going local, seasonal and organic gives us all these, and these principles are fantastic for averting climate change.
Enjoyment
A big part of enjoying life is to enjoy the food of our dreams - you know you’re on track when your eyes half close with pleasure on the first bite. Processed foods simply can’t give the same flavours as home cooking, and if you start with top quality ingredients it’s easy to make sumptuous meals. It can be easier to make the effort to eat the best when you know it’s also great for the planet.
Taste
Foods have maximum flavour within a few hours of being picked so buy from local farms and gardens where produce was harvested that morning. The flavours in the food come from the amount of nutrients in the soil. Small scale organic producers tend to have the richest soils as this enables them to maximise yields without artificial fertilisers. If it’s local it will also be in season. Your taste buds are a mini lab that tests how good your food is and you can use them to find the best ingredients for home cooking as well as the best places to eat out. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your food suppliers and restaurateurs to help you decide where and what to eat.
Community
When you buy food regularly from local producers a beautiful exchange takes place: You become an important part of their livelihood, as most of us spend £2,000 - £3,000 per year on food. And by supplying you with food that is healthy and enjoyable, they become important for your quality of life. This interdependent relationship can give us a stronger sense of community, which has the knock-on effect of increasing our perception of safety and support, and in turn raising our wellbeing.
Health
The main pillars of good health include low stress levels, sleep, exercise, and food. Using our taste buds and enjoyment of food as a compass to find the most nutritious food is a great way to maintain good health over a long life. The fact that it’s good for the planet too means it’s definitely a win-win.
Regnerating nature
Most of us love wild animals whether that’s birds, butterflies, deer or dolphins, and the intricate web of soil microbes, fungi and insects supports bird and animal life. As we know, without bees there would be no pollination, and bees are part of a long food chain of many other organisms. Since 1945 agricultural practices have caused severe loss of wildlife, including 70% of Britain’s birds. This is where eating local, seasonal, organic food makes a massive difference to wildlife. These practices have the minimum negative impact on nature and can support its rapid regeneration.
Celebration
Making food important by giving yourself time to prepare regular meals from raw ingredients naturally leads to an enhanced sense of celebration in daily life. By eating good food we are doing our best for our enjoyment, our communities, our health, the natural world, and the climate. Celebrating every day enhances our experience of life - so let’s eat like kings and queens.