One of the best ways to make something happen is to plan—writing it down when you have a thought or idea is also a golden rule to making all those great ideas you get all day an eventual reality. The same can be said in making a list of personal sustainability actions you plan to make for your to-go menu.
The list is long of potential sustainable actions you can take at the table when you’re out, but you don’t have to bite it all at once. Making a plan and reaching goals doesn’t mean you have to go in all at once. The list here is for use, and other actions also exist, but it’s best to keep it short and make a deadline that is realistic, such as three months or six months.
What are the benefits of being sustainable at the diner?
- Keeping up with things on your diner sustainability list can lead to different outcomes, depending on the action.
- Buying from restaurants that reduce their food waste can = climate change mitigation and food security in the future, for example.
- Bringing your own glass or other containers for leftovers can = climate change mitigation and solid waste reduction.
- Eating seasonally (or in season) can = fewer carbon emissions because the food is likely sourced locally. The reason for this is that if it’s in season in your region (grown by farmers there), the restaurant or grocery chain is likely to get it from local sources and not have to seek it from other regions.
How do I take my sustainable actions to the table?
First: Write down the goal you’d like to achieve. Here, we’ve given three in the previous section as examples. We’ll use eating seasonally as our major goal for sustainability action at the table. Write that down. Also, set a date for when this will occur and a date to start your next sustainable action.
Second: The next step is to find out what eating seasonally means in your area. What is grown and when? This can be a gateway to figuring out your menu for when you’re on the go.
Three: Make a list of things that are grown seasonally and when. This can be done in the simplest way for you to remember it. It can be done as a monthly or weekly menu, for example. You can also make a sublist of your local eateries that you like to frequent, noting dishes you’d like to try or eat again–ones that meet your already set criteria.
Four: Take it to the table and enjoy!
Five: Don’t stress about achieving perfection right away. Being sustainable is a process for yourself or your business.
Six: Check your list of the next sustainable actions you want to take and/or goals you want to achieve.
Have a great meal!