What can YOU do to alleviate world hunger? Most people think that you have to donate money or volunteer or give a lot of effort to make an impact. But that’s not true. I recently participated in a conference call with OxFam America to learn more about their GROW method, five simple principles for feeding your family. And when they say it’s simple, they mean it.
The five principles of the GROW method are:
- Save food – You know what I’ve been talking about with meal planning and how it helps you eat all that you purchase? That.
- Eat seasonally – If you’re trying to buy tomatoes in the dead of winter, you know that it takes more resources (water, gas, etc) to get it to you, than if you wait until summer to buy the local produce available to you.
- Eat less meat – During the call, we learned that if we replace a meal that’s normally made with beef and replace it with lentils, a family of four could save 17 bathtubs full of water. That’s insane.
- Support small food suppliers – Looking for Fair Trade products (more on that here) or local farmer’s markets is one way to support “the little guy.”
- Cook smart – Eat more raw food, gobble up sandwiches, and reduce your energy usage while cooking.
Tell me – what will you do to ensure that we can have a better food system?
Disclosure:This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America’s GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.