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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I bring bags with me whenever I shop! I just moved to California a month ago and love that they charge .10 for every bag you need at the store, feel like it is such motivation to remember you bags!!
Recycling and always bringing my reusable bags! They hold so much more, too. Less trips to the car!
I ALWAYS use my green bags and ALWAYS recycle/re-purpose the plastic bags we do have (hello kitty litter and trash bag liners!). I just discovered Kevita at my local Whole Foods, it’s my new fave!
We love their brick oven pizza and hard apple cider 🙂
The salad bar at Whole Foods is where it’s at! Also I always bring reusable bags.
We love to buy their freeze dried blueberries! Such a great addition to any salad.
We recycle. I bring my own bags to grocery store
I always take my own bags to go shopping. Even at the mall! My town is getting a Whole Foods for the first time in 2 weeks and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have.
One of my favorite items to purchase from Whole Foods is their prepackaged and marinated seafood!
My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods is the steel cut oats from the bulk bin – especially now that I’m breastfeeding. I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and reheat each morning! Budget friendly and healthy for me and my baby.
I take reusable grocery bags on my shopping trips, and I also use reusable water bottles instead of plastic! My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods is CHEESE! 🙂
We use reusable bags when we shop – even at Target and clothing stores. We also subscribe to a CSA to receive fruit, veggies and herbs from a local farm each week! I love Whole Foods honey roasted peanut butter that you grind yourself, Perfect Food bars and their fresh fish – tastes way better than any other place I have purchased from.
LOVE Whole Foods!! My favorite things to buy there are definitely the organic meat and produce… I trust what i’m buying is safe, wholesome, and as fresh as possible! I try to always take my own bags grocery shopping, and I always try to avoid purchasing the produce that has already been cut up… even though those are much more convenient to have on hand, they are usually packaged in thick plastic containers! Plus… buying whole fruits and veggies saves money, too! 🙂
We refill glass water bottles instead of buying plastic reusable OR plastic disposable bottles.
my favorite thing to buy at whole foods is any of their baked goods. i know the ingredients are wholesome and they are so delicious!
During the warmer months, I grow pesticide and chemical free fruits and veggies in two raised bed gardens in my backyard but year-round I also compost, recycle as much as possible, and always use reusable grocery bags when I shop.
Bringing my own bags and buying in bulk at Whole foods!
I started using Norwex cleaning cloths they have copper fibers which is a natural Antimicrobial so no more nasty cleaning sprays in my house! Their window cloth is awesome you just use water and it’s streak free!
I am obsessed with the Whole Foods Brand dried mango. Literally can’t buy it anywhere else.
Hi Julie!
I love Whole Foods! To be green, I always try to shop for locally grown produce. I also bring my own bags sometimes and try to eliminate wastefulness by not over-buying food.
I always bring my own bags. And often my own bags for produce too!
I use reusable bags and recycle as much as I can! I also compost our kitchen scraps.
I take my coffee to work everyday in a reusable mug and pack my lunch in a reusable bag.
I try not to let the water run unnecessarily when cleaning dishes, giving my son a bath or brushing my teeth. In the past I would let the water run in the sink while washing dishes while I stepped away to grab something else to put in the sink, etc. Now I will the sink with some water and soap and wash away!
One way I green my routine is by bringing a laundry basket to the grocery store, placing it in the cart, and filling it as I shop and after check-out. Doing this means I don’t use any bags, and as a bonus it is so easy to unload the trunk once I’m home (only one trip from the car)! I first saw this done when I lived abroad in Germany and fell in love with the idea. Time saver AND environment saver!
I use reusable bags and make a conscious effort to walk, bike, and even carpool to the grocery store as much as possible. 🙂
Thankfully I live within walking distance to both a Whole Foods and a Trader Joes (JACKPOT) so we walk and always bring reusable bags when shopping!
Love reusing paper bags from WF and Winco!
I love Whole Foods – thanks for the giveaway! One thing I’ve done since college to green my routine is wash out and reuse plastic ziplock bags. It takes 2 seconds and we save so much waste! I think we have to buy a new box about once a year.
I love the whole foods hot bar and salad bar for quick lunch and dinners!
We reduce, reuse and recycle every thing we possibly can. This has cut down our garbage to one trash bag per week!
My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods is the dried mango from the bulk bins. No sugar added – so chewy and delicious!
I collect hard to recycle items around the house (electronics/wires/cables/plastic bags/old text books, etc) and take them a few times a year to our “hard to recycle” center. It clears clutter and makes me feel like I am not just dumping stuff in a landfill!
I think I could use that gift card towards the bulk bins alone! 😉
I try to meal plan and shop smart to minimize our waste. I also use cloth napkins so we’re not going through packs and packs of napkins on the regular.
I bring my own reusable bags when I grocery shop!
I love all the varieties of almond butter at WF! Also I use my own bag when shopping.
I walk to WholeFoods which is half a mile from my house! I bring my reusable bags and only buy enough that I can carry home! We also buy lots of things such as oatmeal and nuts in bulk!
Ahh so many comments above with people being green — it makes my hippie heart happy 🙂 I’ve switched to green cleaners, use mason jars and glass whenever possible for food storage, and Chicago started a plastic bag ban this year and it was the best thing Ever!
I always use my reusable grocery bags – they can fit so much more, too!
One of my staples are the giant bottles of olive oil you can get st WF. I reuse the plastic containers from the bins to freeze bananas.
My favorite things to buy at Whole Foods (there are SO many) are guacamole, avocado, tomatoes, meat, and their desserts!
I always use reusable grocery bags at the store!
We are big on recycling in my home. I also prefer to bring my own bags to the store when I remember!
My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods is the Borsari seasoning they carry – it goes well on meat, fish, vegetables, basically anything! Also the giant donuts in the bakery are hard to stay away from…
My husband and I always make sure to recycle to help green our environment!
Oh Whole Foods, how I love you! My husband & I go there often to choose fun date night meals to cook together! It’s close enough to walk, and that’s one of our favorite ways to stay green. I work from home, he takes the train to work, and we walk from the train together whenever we can to avoid using our car! We love walking to our favorite spots whenever we can 🙂 Eco, budget, AND waistline friendly!
I buy local meat/produce/eggs whenever possible!
Whole Foods really isn’t “whole paycheck” anymore. I buy a lot of 365 items, which are very reasonably priced. Bringing your own bags is a must. Switched over to vinegar/water cleaning solution a few years ago and will never go back to the chemical cleaners.
I try not to use too many produce bags. I take all the veggies out of the bags when I get home anyways!
I love their trail mix! They have so many different an yummy kinds.
I ALWAYS bring my own envirosax reusable bags and I love to buy fresh made Whole Foods Juices and the salad bar is to die for!