The phrase ‘vote with your wallet’ is one we apply to matters important to us, such as when a company brings out a product we consider to be unnecessary or low-quality, or perhaps when the standards and practices of a company are something we disagree with.
While it sounds like such an effort would have a marginal effect, you’d be surprised just how much of an impact it can make. This is because if you’re not helping the revenue of one company, you’re going to probably support their competitors instead.
It’s important to keep this in mind when grocery shopping, because often we can fall into repeated cycles of buying the same things every week. But if you’re trying to be a more responsible grocery shopper, it can be worth looking to the items you buy with a closer eye..
This way, you can transition to your new habitual efforts of removing gluten from your diet or trying to limit the sugars you consume. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can make better weekly grocery shopping decisions going forward, and why that effort matters.
Consider The Official Certifications
It’s good to support initiatives you hope to see. We can often see how something was prepared or if it was manufactured responsibly by checking the certifications placed on the label. This can suggest a gluten-free product, a fairtrade product that reimburses farmers for their work overseas appropriately, and as they should, or if the food has been grown by local farmers. This will help you better understand the circumstances of each food and the principles of the company behind it.
Support Local Businesses Where You Can
It’s always a good idea to support local businesses as this is suitable for your budget. Butchers, fishmongers, and grocers need your support during these times, while convenient delivery measures like Amazon Prime Groceries only fund a company that is increasingly expansionist and has been alleged to treat its employees poorly. Not everyone can afford the most ethical option, but it’s always good to try and inject cash into your local community as and when you can. Most of the time, you actually find better produce this way.
Vote For Sustainability
It’s always good to vote for sustainability where you can. For instance, some fish sources will showcase how they take proactive action to replenish fish stocks so that the supply is indefinite, rather than certain species which are overfished and purchasing those goods will only contribute to the problem. The same also goes for the means by which certain foods were reared, it’s much better to know that teaching your growing teens how to cook bacon in the oven that the protein was sourced by ethical farming methods such as human slaughtering, proper feeding and clean conditions, and that you’re voting for those practices with your wallet. On top of that, substituting certain meats for vegan alternatives can be a great way of spicing up your cooking and also offsetting the environmental impact of animal agriculture.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily make better weekly grocery shopping decisions.
