Tips for Conscious Superfood Consumption: Groceries, Skincare, + More
Sustainability is one of Herbivore’s fundamental values. We create formulas that are entirely vegan and naturally derived, and we use packaging that is recyclable and reusable. By doing so, we can protect and serve Mother Earth and deliver her most nourishing ingredients to our customers simultaneously.
We recently released our Cloud Jelly Plumping Hydration Serum, which, as with all of our formulas, is wholly derived from natural sources, comes packaged in a recyclable glass bottle, and is packed with skin nutrient-dense superfood ingredients that nourish the skin. Cloud Jelly’s superfood ingredient list includes plumping tremella mushroom, nourishing strawberry extract, and plant collagen.
Incorporating Cloud Jelly into our skincare routines has increased our interest in superfoods overall, which are nutritionally dense ingredients. Most whole foods can be considered superfoods because they are unprocessed or minimally processed and still retaining their nutrition. Because they often don’t need a lot of packaging to go from farm to table, whole foods help us to minimize our carbon im.
There are many ways to buy and store whole food, and some are more sustainable than others. We’re following the below tips to ensure that our diets are as nutrient-dense and sustainable as our products, and we hope they’ll do the same for you!
Shop local.
- Local food is freshest and retains the most nutrition.
- When possible, shop at your local farmer’s market or grocery store that supports small farms.
Go zero waste.
- Purchase products with the least amount and most sustainable packaging. Shop in bulk whenever possible.
- Bring jars and reusable bags into the store with you when buying in the bulk or produce sections.
- Buy whole fruits and veggies that can be tossed in your basket naked/without a disposable bag.
- Collect food scraps at home and drop it off at your local farmer’s market. If you don’t have a compost bin, try keeping your scraps in the freezer until you’re ready to discard them.
- If you’re having groceries delivered, ask your shopper to use recyclable paper bags instead of plastic when bagging up certain bulk items and produce.
Shop organic.
- Shop organic when possible. Organic farming bans the use of certain pesticides that enter our oceans and waterways through water runoff. Pesticides can also affect soil’s health and biodiversity, which affects the nutritional value of the food grown within it.
Look for biodynamically grown food.
- Biodynamic farming is a holistic, ecological approach to farming that restores the balanced relationship between humans and the earth.
- Biodynamic farms support a diverse ecosystem that encourages each crop and pollinating insect to flourish. They also help to “rewild” land, which is critical in tackling climate change because healthy ecosystems rapidly draw carbon out of the atmosphere.
Properly shop for, cook, and store your food.
- Did you know that full heads of broccoli are more nutritious than cut florets, and are most nutritious when steamed for four minutes or less? There are many more examples of ways to shop for, cook, and store food for the highest nutritional value in Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson.
- Reference your grocery store shelves when you’re wondering how to store your food. If it’s not refrigerated in the produce section, it doesn’t need to go into your fridge when you get home.
Take care of your skin sustainably.
- Choose products packaged in infinitely recyclable materials, like glass and aluminum.
- Seek formulas that are plant-based and naturally derived, such as our Cloud Jelly Plumping Hydration Serum!)
Use your empty jars and bottles as pots for plants, holders for cotton rounds, etc. Check out this post on Instagram where our community shared a bunch of cool ideas!
