Picking Foods

Organic foods

Buy organic foods. This way you avoid harmful pesticides, and contribute to a better environment where the food is produced. In traditional farming, some foods are heavily sprayed with chemicals. Therefore it is especially important to choose organically grown:

• Coffee
• Apples
• Bananas
• Citrus fruits
• Grapes
• Raisins
• Potatoes'
• Onions
• Peppers

Sustainably produced foods

Fairtrade is an international certification of foods and raw ingredients grown in countries with high poverty. This label certifies that the product is produced with regard to social, economic, and ecological standards. Buying Fairtrade products creates possibilities for people to strengthen their influence on their incomes and their lives. By eating, drinking and buying Fairtrade products you contribute to a more sustainable world.

Vegetarian foods, fish and meat

• Eat less meat. The most climate smart foods are vegetarian.
• Replace meat with leguminous plants such as beans, peas and lentils; or different kinds of meat substitutes made from leguminous plants. This is a much more climate smart protein source than meat.
• Decrease the amount of dairy products, which emit relatively high amounts of greenhouse gases, mainly due to the metabolism of cows.
• If you eat meat – choose with care. Meat´s effect on climate vary considerably due to what kind of meat it is. For example, one kilo of beef emits nine times more CO2 than one kilo of poultry. If you eat meat, it is good to choose Swedish meat from animals grazing on natural pastures (that is, natural grasslands that have not been fertilized). Grazing animals help to keep land open which in turn is important for biodiversity.
• Choose fish and seafoods that are sustainably caught and labeled with MSC (Marine Stewarship Council).

Vegetables

• Binge in root vegetables and storage resistant vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. They have a minimal effect on the climate.
• Refrain from buying fruit and vegetables that have been transported by plane. Are you unsure of how the product has been transported? Ask in the store!
• Use potatoes as a source of carbohydrates. They have minimal effect on the climate – much lower than rice, which is grown on fields flooded with water. Choose organically grown potatoes.

Drink tap water

• Drink the good tap water of Stockholm instead of bottled water. This way you reduce the climate impact from production and transportation.
• Never use hot water from the tap for food or drinks.