Go Often and Buy Small Amounts: According to a University of Arizona study, Americans throw away over four hundred and seventy pounds of food per year. While there are many steps that we need to take in order to reduce this number, and easy one is to simply go to the grocery store frequently and buy only what you need for the immediate future. How many times have you pulled a vegetable out of your refrigerator and thrown it away without ever having had the time to use it?

Captain Obvious, Bring Your Own Bag: We shouldn’t even have to point it out, but if you’re not using reusable grocery bags by now for at least most of your shopping, there’s really no excuse.

Don’t Go Grocery Shopping Hungry: This seems more like a weight loss tip, but the reality is also that if you go grocery shopping while hungry, you’re likely to have cravings for comfort food. For many of us, the comfort food that we grew up with is chemical rich and nutrient low and certainly not earth friendly. Reduce your chances of a non-eco friendly impulse buy by not being hungry when you shop.

Read Labels: Not everything that says it’s natural is really natural! There are many marketing liberties taken today, particularly with the ideas of organic and natural. Educate yourself about the meaning of labels and, most importantly, read ingredients listings.

You may be surprised though that shopping your smaller local grocer isn’t always a more green friendly solution. However, we love supporting local, and of course we love the idea of doing a significant amount of your grocery shopping at a farmers' market when you can. Eating green isn’t as easy as eating unhealthily, but some simple steps can make all the difference.