Sustainable Living with GreenChoice Role Model: Erin Christ

“When you start paying attention to where your food comes from and how it is grown, produced, and prepared, you are taking control of your health and helping your community.”

— Erin Christ

Here at GreenChoice, we’re on a mission to empower people to create a healthy, just, and sustainable world through their daily food choices. Improving our food system and the health of our country depends on the action of many people. With all that is going on in the world, we understand how important it is to spotlight people who are living healthy and sustainable lives and inspiring others to do the same.

Know someone living a life of health and sustainability who deserves recognition? Submit them to be featured.

We are excited to introduce you to one of our inspiring Health and Sustainability Role Models, Erin Christ — an aspiring dietitian aiming to educate and empower people to to rediscover their love for healthy & sustainable food through her Instagram @bodybybreakfast.

The opinions expressed in this interview are Erin’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of GreenChoice.

Why is sustainable living and healthy eating important to you?

The idea of healthy eating has many different meanings to different people, but they all come down to feeding your body the fuel and nutrients that you need to sustain life. Healthy eating is important to me because it makes my body feel good! I know when I’m fueling my body with the proper nutrients, my body appreciates it. Healthy eating is not a diet, it is not about cutting out foods but it’s about eating a wide variety of foods to give your body what it needs. When I eat healthy, I experience a higher level of mental focus, I have more energy and I sleep better. To me, healthy eating is more of an art than a science.  Finding balance in eating is my goal every day!

What does sustainable living mean to you?

Health and sustainability are extremely important to me. Sustainable foods are better for the environment, and healthier for myself and the people I love.  Food production has become such a huge industry that it tends to drive people to producing more and more products, without much care for how it is going to be sustained over time.  This makes understanding the importance of sustainable food production! It treats the land properly, production uses less chemicals, food is available at the proper season, and food tastes better. I believe when you start paying attention to where your food comes from and how it is grown, produced, and prepared, you are taking control of your health and helping your community.

What is the hardest part of sustainable living?

I think the hardest part of living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is all the misinformation out there. Many people think it is extremely expensive to live a sustainable lifestyle, but it definitely does not have to be. Ultimately, living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is something that people have to actively choose and requires effort. It may mean stepping out of your comfort zone and be more conscious of how you are living your life.  I think many people have this idea that it’s an all or nothing approach, but it does not mean having to change your entire lifestyle.  All you really need to do is be more aware of what you’re eating, where it comes from, and how it’s made.  It could be as simple as purchasing a reusable water bottle, growing your own herbs, compost, or buying local food.

What are you looking for when you go grocery shopping?

Before heading to the grocery store, I make a list of what I need to buy so I can eliminate unnecessary food waste. When I go grocery shopping, I look for the unprocessed, whole foods. I do most of my shopping around the perimeter because that is where the fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats are. I also make sure to pick up nuts, grains and seeds. I make sure to read all the labels of things I buy, keeping my eye out for words like fair-trade, organic, safe catch, and non-gmo to ensure that the products I buy are good for the environment.  Although I do not buy everything organic, there are certain foods that I do buy organic such as strawberries, spinach, apples, and potatoes because they usually contain the most pesticides. I will also shop local when given the opportunity and I never leave the house without my reusable bags.

Have you used GreenChoice to implement your sustainable lifestyle? What do you think of the app?

I just recently downloaded the app and I am obsessed with it! I love how it allows me to search and scan products, while at the grocery store or in the comfort of my own home, to immediately discover what’s in and behind the foods I eat.  It also features personalized recommendations, shopping lists and tracks your impact which is unlike any other food app I have tried.  It has really made grocery shopping simpler by helping learn how to read labels, avoid harmful ingredients, and reducing carbon footprint while also managing a budget.  I feel as if ever since I started using GreenChoice, I am on my way to helping create a positive environmental impact and make the world a better place.

What piece of advice would you share with someone who’s interested in sustainable living?

My advice to someone who wants to live a more healthy and sustainable life is to start small.  It doesn’t have to be an exhaustive transformation; it just requires some minor changes.  Everything you do, no matter how big or small, helps.  A few simple ways to help you start is by bringing a reusable grocery bag to the store when you shop, stop buying bottled water and get a water bottle you can refill, and buy local foods.  The more you can live daily without creating waste, the better your impact on the environment will be.  Earth needs our help and we can pitch in.

You can follow Erin on Instagram @bodybybreakfast

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GreenChoice, PBC has evaluated and rated more than 340,000 food & beverage products across hundreds of attributes related to diet, health, and sustainability. Easily find the best products for you, the planet, & your budget. Download the free GreenChoice app for Apple iOS or Android!

Sydney W

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