Why what we put on our plate matters How to reduce your food footprint - AUB Green Zine - aubsu
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AUB Green Zine 2020
Food Edition
Why what we put on
our plate matters
How to reduce your
food footprint
Easy vegan recipes
1
The Green Zine 2020 - Food Edition
This second issue of the Green Zine is brought to you by the
AUBSU Green Team! In this issue we’ve focused on food.
Contents
It’s a big part of all of our lives, and figuring out its various
environmental implications, from the far-reaching impacts
of eating various foods, to throwing out food, can be quite
Pg. 4
complicated. This zine hopes to help you to navigate the
complicated world of food and to make the best decisions Food Waste
for yourself and for the environment!
Understanding Food Labels
Clever Tricks
Who are the Green Team? Top Tips on Avoiding Food Waste
Food Waste Bins
We are a dedicated bunch of environmentalists, who bring Food Apps
you the likes of swap shops, Go Green Week, tree planting
and many more exciting things you see on campus! This
year we’ve decided to start an annual green zine tradition Pg. 12
following up from our first issue last year. We hope you enjoy!
The Impact of our Food
If you’re interested in making the world a little greener and
want to find out more about how to get involved: pop Food Miles & Eating Local
into AUBSU office, email us (green@aub.ac.k) or find us on Water Footprint
Facebook: facebook.com/aubsugreenteam Food Accessories
Fair and Ethical Purchasing
Contributions Pg. 20
Reducing Meat and Dairy
Editor & Content Manager: Laura Kazmeier
Design: Laura Kazmeier Phoebe’s Vegan Mac n’ Cheese
Content: Abbie McDonnell, Caitlin Powell, Laura Tinned Tomatoes - Three ways
Kazmeier, Nuala Clarke, Phoebe Coleman, Ruby Russell Doing Vegan Right
and Saffron Harrington Vegan Youtubers
Illustrations: Phoebe Coleman and Ruby Russell
Cover Design: Laura Kazmeier
3
FOOD WASTE If global food waste were
a country, it would be
One of the biggest factors 2019, a 7% reduction in third largest emitter of
contributing to climate
change is the mass
the past 3 years, however
the figure is still worrying. greenhouse gases after
China and the US.
accumulation of waste in According to Rebecca
landfill sites, breaking down Smithers, a Consumer Affairs
to create Methane, a highly correspondent from The
damaging greenhouse gas. Guardian, we waste 14
billion pounds worth of food
UK households generated which equates to 10 billion
a staggering 4.5 billion uneaten meals.
tonnes of food waste in
4 5
Understanding Clever Tricks
Food Labels
The Float Test
Eggs have a best-before date. To
Understanding food labels is
test whether they’ve gone off use the
incredibly important in avoiding bowl of water test: if it sinks, it is good;
unnecessary food waste. if it floats, it is bad.
Use-by Eggs can be eaten after
Use-by dates concern safety and their ‘best-before’ date...
are seen on products such as meat ...as long as they are
and soft cheese. Even if food looks cooked thoroughly until both
or smells fine past the use-by date, it yolk and white are solid, or
should not be consumed. Bacteria, if used in dishes like cakes,
such as salmonella or e.coli which can where they are fully cooked.
form in these foods are undetectable Cooking eggs like this will kill
to the naked eye. any bacteria.
It is especially important to follow
storage instructions on these foods,
as it will spoil more quickly otherwise.
If a food can be frozen, its life can be
extended beyond the “use by” date.
Sour milk makes great pancakes!
The waste reduction charity The act of cooking the milk will kill off
Best-before
Wrap has found that as any harmful bacteria present.
Best before dates are suggestions and much as 30% of the food
concern quality. Food is likely to be binned for being “past
safe after the date but may not taste
date” had a best-before; Orange peels are great for making a
or look as good. Consumers can use
i.e., it probably did not natural cleaning spray!
their senses and common sense to
judge whether these foods, such as
need to be binned. Add orange peels (grapefruit and lemon
peels work too!) to a glass jar and add
bread or biscuits, are still safe to eat.
enough vinegar to cover. Leave the mixture
to sit for atleast 2 weeks. Then remove the
peels and mix the orange vinegar with water
in equal parts in a spray bottle. This cleaner
can be used on most surfaces!
6 7
Top Tips for
avoiding food waste
Avoiding food waste and making your food last longer is 6. Plan meals & stick to your
not only better for the environment, but will also save you shopping list
money and time walking to and from the shops! If you can find the time, planning
meals, writing out a shopping list, and
sticking to it is a great way to make
1. Use it all up! 4. Be cupboard savvy sure you only buy what you need and
what you will be sure to use up!
If your bananas have gone all brown, Buy dried, frozen and canned goods,
make banana bread! (The riper the which last longer and will save you
better). Use broccoli stalks - they are money! Canned foods such as beans 7. Don’t go shopping hungry
great chopped up in stir frys! Potato and tinned tomatoes can form the When we go shopping with an empty
peels can be used for soups! Use herb base or be added to so many meals. stomach, we can easily get carried
stalks as well as the leaves. You can find a simple adaptable away and buy and spend too much.
If you think your perishable items may base recipe using tinned tomatoes on Eating before going food shopping is
reach their use by date by the time page 22. a great way to help you stick to that
you have finished with them, offer shopping list and only buy what you
them to your housemates or friends so 5. Store food properly really need!
they can be used up quickly and not
wasted. Always follow instructions on 8. Cooking has no rules!
packaging to make food last longer.
2. Freeze it Try to keep vegetables and other Remember that there are no rules
perishables covered, or always kept in as to what you put in your meals. Have a look at the Love
Most goods can be frozen and this the fridge to prolong freshness. (There You can adapt recipes to suit you Food, Hate Waste website
will make them last much longer. For are some great reusable alternatives and to use what you already have for more information on
example, freeze bread and defrost to clingfilm, including beeswax wraps at home! Alternatively, if you’ve how to make the most
slices as and when needed. Making or silicone covers!) bought something just for a recipe of your food, including
several portions of a meal and but can’t use it up, simply share with recipes for using leftovers,
freezing some of it for another time You can also soak your onions in housemates or friends. a portion size calculator
is also a great way to save time and water - if you only use half an onion, and more tips on how to
money as you can buy in bulk. fill a pot with water and place the 9. Choose loose shop, store, cook and eat
leftover half in the water to keep that
food to avoid waste.
3. Plan Portions half of the onion fresh for longer. By buying loose fruit and veg you can
Or, place your bananas in a reusable save on packaging and only buy
lovefoodhatewaste.com
Try to become more mindful of how bag or box to make them last longer. what you really need and what you
hungry you really are and practice will be sure to use up.
portion control to avoid leftovers.
8 9
When you can’t avoid Food apps to help
throwing it away, use a avoid food waste
food waste bin!
Olio
Sometimes it is difficult to not throw This app helps to connect local
away unwanted or out of date food, people with any surplus food in their
so always be sure that if you do have area, so that it can be shared and not
to throw it away, that it is disposed of wasted. it also includes other items
correctly. Putting your food waste into like kitchen and garden tools. This is a
a small brown caddy bin can help great way to prevent food waste in
to reduce the amount of food left in your local area, which also helps the
landfill, BCP council will take your food environment by keeping the food
waste and turn it into compost! close to you.
Free green bin liners can also be
collected from your local library or
community centre, you can find a full
Too Good To Go
list on the BCP council website. AUBSU This app allows stores and goods
office have them too! outlets to sell their leftover food at a
reduced price. You get good food at
If your household does not have a a reduced price and they waste less:
brown food waste caddy, you can It’s a win, win situation!
apply for a replacement on the BCP
council website: online.bcpcouncil.
gov.uk/services/replacementbin/
Giki
This app allows you to easily find
healthy, sustainable and ethical
companies to buy from. You scan the
barcode to see an item’s information.
This way you know where your food is
coming from, and you’re not wasting
your money, nor hopefully, food.
10 11
The Impact Emissions from agricultural
production currently
of our account for 11% of global
greenhouse gas emissions
food and agriculture is a main
driver of land-use change.
There are many factors to consider when
assessing the impact of the foods we eat.
From the land and water required to grow
foods, their impact on the soil, whether locally
grown or imported by plane or sea. The
next couple of pages aim to give a greater
understanding of the impact of various foods
and how you can reduce your impact.
12 13
Food Miles & Eating Local And here are some foods which the UK does grow, but
which we still import (even when it’s the UK growing
season).
Food miles are how far your food has travelled from where
it was grown/manufactured, to where it is sold. The further
the food needs to travel, the larger the carbon footprint it Apples Strawberries
leaves behind. • 4,255 miles (from the USA). • 958 miles (from Spain).
• 76% of apples consumed in the UK • Importing one kilogram of out-of-
COMING BY PLANE, OR SEA? are from overseas. season strawberries from California
is the equivalent of keeping a 100-
This makes a BIG impact on the carbon emissions. Peas watt light bulb on for eight days.
Transporting goods by plane produces roughly 44 times • 5,979 miles (from South Africa).
more carbon emissions than by boat. • Importing fresh peas requires
approximately two and half times
the energy as sourcing them locally.
Some GOOD news amongst the bad…
Wine
Obviously, some food and drink we cannot grow • Lots comes from New Zealand, a journey of 14,287 miles.
here in the UK, and therefore have to import, such as: However, most wine is shipped by boat, which generates
a tiny fraction of the carbon emissions that air or road
freight does. I’ll drink to that!
Avocados
• 5,500 miles (typically from Mexico)
• Avocados also contribute to a lot of water usage. It
takes over 130 gallons of water to produce one single
avocado. That means if you were to let one avocado How can I reduce my impact?
go mouldy and have to throw it away, it would be the
equivalent of running a shower for over an hour - with • Do your research. Find out where your favourite foods
no-one in it. come from, and therefore how far they have to travel.
Also, find out how they get here. Is it usually by boat, or
Bananas by sea?
• 5,106 miles (typically from India) • Choose your food habits accordingly. If you’re someone
• Don’t like eating bananas if they’re a bit brown who eats an avocado a day, maybe consider cutting
and spotty? Think about how far it’s come to be that down to something like two a week, to reduce
thrown away. your impact.
• Fun Fact: bananas are sweeter and easier to digest • Eat local and seasonal. The best way for your food choices
when they’re spotty – perfect for a zero-waste to contribute as little as possible to the climate crisis is to
banana bread! eat what is locally grown and in-season.
14 15
Water Footprint Food Accessories
We are currently experiencing a global water crisis. Water It’s not just our food that we need to be conscious of but
is used in almost everything we do/own; from the clothes also what we use to prepare, store and clean too! Here
we wear, to the food we eat, to our morning routines. are a few key food accessories that we love using:
Despite this, it is not priced correctly for the invaluable
commodity it is.
Wax Wraps Reusable Straws
An example of a days’ water usage: Instead of using cling-film or foil to Unless you’ve been living under a
prolong the life of your food, try a rock, you’ve probably heard that
8am 3pm wax wrap. Wax wraps are made from plastic straws = bad. Instead, try
Wake up, shower = 40 gallons Meeting with a coffee = 40 gallons.
scrap fabric sealed with melted wax, stainless steel, glass or bamboo straws,
which can be moulded to most foods which can be washed and reused.
8.30am
Brush teeth. Leave tap running = 20
4pm and come in any size. They can be
Doing the washing up = 10 gallons washed and reused again and again.
gallons. Zero-Waste Shopping
If you have a spare afternoon and
9.30am 5pm want to save some money, you can Rather than using plastic bags to buy
End of the day pint (or three) with make them yourselves, either from your fruit & veg, use a reusable one.
Make breakfast, bacon and eggs =
your housemates = 20 (or 60) gallons. bees wax or alternative waxes. You could also buy from zero-waste
1,500 gallons
shops like Almond & Co, who let you
10am 8pm refill any container with cereals, dry
Make dinner, vegan mac and cheese Reusable Cups & Bottles food, herbs & spices, oils, milk etc.
Get dressed, jeans (= 2000 gallons)
= 230 gallons (GO YOU! Recipe is on
and a nice top (= 710 gallons). Half a trillion single-use cups are made
page 22)
globally each year; over 70 for every
Other Stuff
12pm Going to the loo around three or four person on the planet. Now consider
Lunch. Burger, apple and a packet of times over the day = 25 gallons that most single-use “paper” cups You can get more sustainable
crisps = 700 gallons. contain a polyurethane coating, alternatives like bamboo food
Total = around 5,100 gallons making recycling difficult and rare. containers (instead of plastic
1.30pm Less than 2% are recycled. Simply tupperware), avocado boxes to keep
Drive to uni, via the car wash using a reusable cup/bottle can cut your avocado halves fresher, natural
= 35 gallons.
Food Total = 2,430 gallons!
waste massively! & eco scourers and sponges for
washing up, and even eco washing-
How can I reduce my water waste? This year, AUB stopped stocking plastic up liquids. Have a good browse
• Turn the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth. cups at water fountains and instead of zero-waste shops and events
• Try a 4-minute shower, or turn the water off while you’re worked with AUBSU to discount One like South Coast Makers Market for
shaving/shampooing/conditioning. Green Bottle stainless steel bottles to sustainable alternatives.
• Plan your meals so that no food is wasted. £8 from £15 for students. You can buy
• Try to buy denim and cotton clothing second-hand. these at the discounted price from
• Try to have a vegan day at least once a week. the uni shop or aubsu.co.uk/shop.
16 17
Fair & Ethical Purchasing
Soil Association Organic Standard
When you grab your morning cup of coffee, it’s easy to This is an official charity and ensures that whatever you
forget the work that went into farming and preparing the buy is organic and has considerations for the planet
beans, as well as the impact that your choice of coffee throughout its manufacture.
has on people living thousands of miles away. But every
food choice you make has an origin that affects workers,
communities and the environment.
MSC (Certified Sustainable Seafood)
When choosing products consider: animal welfare, The Marine Stewardship Council ensure that
distance to import the food to the UK, workers’ rights, fair- organisations with their label: fish sustainably,
pay for farmers and workers, and sustainable farming. maintaining sustainable and healthy fish population, fish
in a way that doesn’t damage other species or habitats,
Fair and ethical products don’t have to be more and comply with relevant and changing laws.
expensive or more effort – you can find certified products
in local and big-brand supermarkets and even grab your
Fairtrade coffee from Greggs! There are other labels too like RSPCA Assured, The
Red Tractor scheme and The Lion Mark. Remember
that labels all mean different things and focus on
different areas (like animal welfare or workers’ rights) so
sometimes one label isn’t enough, or only indicates the
Check products for these labels:
minimum considerations are taking place!
Fairtrade (largely stocked in the Co-op!)
The Fairtrade Foundation work to protect workers’ rights, Note
ensure they are paid a fair minimum price and fund Not all businesses that trade and employ ethically
further support work for farmers and workers in developing are certified, especially smaller businesses that can’t
countries. afford certification. Check websites and with businesses
directly to find out where they get their products!
The Rainforest Alliance
Their frog label means that support effective planning
and farm management systems that protect our natural
resources, as well as local communities.
18 19Avoiding meat and dairy
products is the single
biggest way to reduce
Reducing your environmental
impact on the planet.
meat & Dairy This was the finding of the most products, which represent 90% of
intake
comprehensive analysis ever done all that is eaten, and investigated
on the damage that farming does almost 40,000 farms in 119
to the planet. Going vegan was countries. The study also found that
found to be the best way to reduce avoiding consumption is far better
your impact, not just greenhouse environmentally than purchasing
gases, but also global acidification, sustainable meat and dairy, and
eutrophication, land use and water that even the very lowest impact
use. The study from 2018 was led by meat and dairy products still cause
Joseph Poore of Oxford University much more environmental harm than
and published in the journal Science. the least sustainable vegetable and
It revealed that while meat and cereal growing.
dairy provide just 18% of calories
and 37% of protein, it uses the The following pages have some great
vast majority – 83% – of farmland vegan recipes, as well as resources
and produces 60% of agriculture’s and tips to help you go vegan or
greenhouse gas emissions. simply incorporate more vegan
meals into your diet!
The study, conducted over four years,
assessed the full impact of 40 food
20 21Phoebe’s Vegan
Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients:
• One squash (or pumpkin or gourd)
• 300ml plant milk
• Hummus 1. Carefully halve your chosen 6. Once it’s cooked, drain the pasta
• Macaroni pasta (measure out desired serving) vegetable with a sharp knife (top (keeping a tiny bit of the pasta
• Salt n pepper (& herbs/paprika if at hand) and tail first if you have a squash, it’ll water) and place back on a low
• Whatever oil you have be a bit easier to cut), then scoop heat, adding the sauce, then
the seeds out to use for another add two generous tablespoons of
All of these ingredients can be found recipe hummus – this will give the sauce a
in most zero waste/sustainable shops cheesy taste without any cheeze or
2. Use the knife to score 1-2cm deep
to reduce waste! nutritional yeast!
lines into the inside of the veggie.
Cut horizontal and vertical lines to 7. Season to taste then pop it into an
make removing the flesh easier later ovenproof dish with breadcrumbs/
This recipe takes a teeny bit of effort,
broken up crisps/a crushed up
but the result is sooo worth it! It’s hard 3. Drizzle a layer of oil over the inside
cracker on top and pop it into the
to believe that the sauce doesn’t of the veggie halves and pop into
oven at 180º to crisp up a bit… or
have any cheese substitute in it. If the oven on 160°/gas mark 4 for
stick it under the grill if you can’t
you’re feeling sceptical about the 40-50 mins flipping them over half
wait… or just eat it straight out of
taste of the veg, all of the other way, until a knife pokes through
the pan if you really can’t wait :)
ingredients will cover it up, I promise! easily. If the flesh is too solid it won’t
You will need a blender, a big one blend well, so give it plenty of time
would be handy, but I’ve used a
4. Once the squash is cooked, start
smoothie blender in the past and it Tip:
cooking the pasta and scoop the
works just fine if you blend the squash Cook the remaining half of the
roasted vegetable out from its skin
and the milk bit by bit and add it to vegetable with 400ml stock, a dash of
(optional, as the skin will be soft
the pan as you go along. plant milk and seasonings and then
and edible once roasted) and pop
blend to make a delicious warming
it into your blender (around half a
soup! If you have any left-over skin
squash will make enough sauce
from the vegetable, this can be
for around 2-3 portions)
seasoned and crisped in the oven for
5. Blend the squash, adding the milk a few minutes to serve with the soup :)
gradually until you have a saucy
texture that you’re happy with.
You may need to add some more
soy milk
22 23Tinned Tomatoes - Three Ways Doing Vegan Right
Tinned tomatoes are incredibly versatile and can make Some of the most established health organizations, such as the
up the base of so many meals, including curries, chillies, American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have now deemed
lasagne, cottage pie and pasta sauces. Here is the outline the vegan diet healthy for all stages of life, including pregnancy.
for the basis of a tinned tomatoes recipes and how little They have also stated that “vegetarians and vegans are at reduced
changes can make a whole other dish (and remember risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease,
there are no rules to cooking, so add what you like!) type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.”
However, this is only if the diet is done right. There are certain things
Ingredients you must be aware of when pursuing a vegan diet to make sure you
• 1 Onion are healthy, and truly lessening your impact on the environment.
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Vegetables of choice e.g.
mushrooms, peppers or aubergine For your Health For the Environment
• One tin chopped tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• You must take Vitamin B12 • Avoid avocadoes, as they require a
• Pasta/Rice/Potatoes supplements. This vitamin is vital to great deal of water to produce and
normal brain functioning and can travel far distances to get to us.
Method Now turn it into a... only be found in animal products. A
lot of vegan products such as plant • Avoid almonds & almond milk,
1. Chop onions and garlic in oil and fry Pasta Sauce Cottage Pie milks are also fortified B12. which also require huge amounts of
for 2-3 minutes of medium to high
water to produce. Especially avoid
heat. Add basil, thyme Once the sauce • You must make sure you’re getting almonds from California, where
and coriander. is ready, pour into enough Omega 3 fatty acids, there is already water scarcity.
2. Chop whatever vegetables you
an oven proof iron, zinc, calcium and Vitamin
choose or have left in your fridge
Curry dish. Lay mashed B. This can be achieved through • Regarding milk alternatives, oat milk
e.g mushrooms, pepper, aubergine.
potatoes on top appropriate dietary plans and/or by has the smallest impact in terms of
Fry off for 5-7 minutes or until soften
Add paprika, and cook in the taking supplements. It is always best water, land use and greenhouse
and brown.
turmeric, ginger, oven at 200ºC to consult with your doctor to make gas emissions. Of course, whatever
3. Add you chopped tinned tomatoes garam masala until the mash is sure you are getting all the nutrients is regional is always best.
and tomato paste and allow to and cumin. brown on top. you need.
reduce until it has thickened. Use a
• As already stated, buy locally,
splash of water to rinse out the tin
• We’re seeing new vegan fast foods check where food is from and buy
and pour this into the mix..
popping up everywhere. While it’s fairtrade to better your social and
4. Add salt, pepper and any spices great that being vegan is becoming environmental impact further!
and herbs you wish. so easy, make sure to still be eating
a balanced diet that includes lots
5. Serve as is, with rice/pasta/
of fruit and veg, grains, pulses, and
mashed potatoes or try one
some fats.
of the variants.
24 25Vegan
Youtubers
If you’re looking to
incorporate some more
vegan meals into your diet
or even want to go fully
vegan, these Youtubers are
a great place to start!
GAZ OAKLEY
“Avant Garde
RACHEL AMA Vegan”
Rachel makes YouTube videos from on things like what happens when A 26 year old chef, author and and I felt really bad. I thought I
her family home in London, taking you become vegan and finding the YouTuber, Gaz became a part- looked good but I felt really bad on
inspiration from her Caribbean roots best vegan natural hair and beauty time chef at the age of 15. He’s the inside.” He became vegan for
in many of her plant-based recipes. products so that you don’t have to! originally from Cardiff and is famous his health, for the animals and the
She grows many of her ingredients She exudes love and warmth and on Insta (420k followers), starting his environment. He is the executive chef
herself and praises her local fruit and generally just vibes to absolutely YouTube channel - Avant Garde at the London restaurant ‘The Vurger
veg markets for providing amazing tune into most of her videos. Plus her Vegan - in 2016. He used to train Co.’ and he has collaborated to
ingredients for her dishes. She went recipes are easy, delicious and very as a bodybuilder and decided make dishes with Wagamama. Gaz
vegan pretty much overnight, affordable! that his animal-based diet wasn’t makes videos demonstrating how to
after suffering through a decade “Even if you decide to eat no meat working for him; “I was on that sort make plant-based ingredients taste
of digestive issues and watching a on Mondays as a starting point and of typical high protein bodybuilding/ like meat, often through dishes like
documentary on animal welfare. As then go from there, it all counts and it weightlifting diet, which was basically mouthwatering vegan burgers and
well as cooking, Rachel makes videos all makes a huge difference.” just chicken, rice and vegetables dirty BBQ ‘ribs’.
26 27Created by the AUBSU Green Team
aubsu.co.uk/green
This zine is printed on 100% recycled paperYou can also read
