It’s likely you’ve seen news stories about plastic in our oceans, blackouts when the power grid goes down, or others that show how hard we can be on our planet.

Luckily, consumers like you are becoming more aware of how our daily choices can affect the world around us, and many are taking steps to be more environmentally friendly. 

Did you know that your food choices and what you eat impacts the environment? Let’s explore some sustainable options together!

Why Sustainability Matters

As the saying goes, we only have one planet, and there is only a limited supply of resources on it.

Sustainable practices protect the environment, conserve resources, and reduce waste. Whether a family installs smart outlets to monitor energy usage or a farmer captures rainwater for irrigation, there are many different ways we can all keep our planet safe.

One way you can play your part is by making slight shifts in the foods you eat.

Making Sustainable Food Choices

Let’s look at some specifics about food sustainability!

Sustainable Agriculture

Fruits and vegetables are considered more sustainable than meat. However, to choose the most sustainable foods for your table, you need to consider the entire production process — from growing and packaging to distribution.

Sustainable Farming Practices

Food production requires natural resources and produces a carbon footprint. Farms that prioritize sustainable farming practices have a lower impact on the planet. 

All types of agriculture use both ground and surface water, but not all food products are created equal. Some simply require more to produce. For example, it takes twice as much water — nearly 700 gallons — to produce steak versus eggs for the same amount of protein! 

Sustainable Packaging

Ask yourself: How much of the food or drinks that you buy is packaged in plastic? Probably a lot.

From grocery bags to soda bottles to produce, our options to make greener choices are everywhere. You’ve seen delicious apples — red, green, and many other varieties — packaged in bags or loose in the produce department. Choosing loose apples and putting them in your own reusable cloth or mesh bags reduces the use of plastic.

But what if your only choices are packaged in plastic? Simple: prioritize brands that are committed to sustainability. 

Your Role in Sustainability

Add more fruits and vegetables to your table as part of making healthy and sustainable food choices. Here are five ways you can contribute to sustainability: 

1. Opt for plant power. In general, plant-based diets have a lower environmental impact than meat-based diets.
2. Grow your own or buy local. Start with a small herb garden and visit a nearby farmers market — bonus points if you walk or bike — to reduce transportation emissions.
3. Choose seasonal produce. It takes fewer resources to grow and transport seasonal produce.
4. Reduce food waste. Plan meals, eat leftovers or add them to other dishes, and consider composting. 
5. Avoid single-use plastic packaging. Prioritize products and brands that use recyclable materials that can later be recycled.

Related: 7 Simple Ways to Reduce Kitchen Waste

Mushrooms: Healthy on the Plate. Gentle on the Planet

From the farm to the shelf to the plate, mushrooms are a delicious, healthy, and highly sustainable food source.

Growing one pound of mushrooms uses only 1.8 gallons of water, while a single hamburger requires 660 gallons! While we’re talking about mushrooms, let’s consider energy usage. It only takes about 1.0 kilowatt hours of energy per pound of mushrooms produced, a level that keeps CO2 emissions in check.

With a rich umami flavor and a wide range of textures, mushrooms can fill in for your favorite meat, poultry, and seafood options. Mushrooms can replace:

Beef. Portabella mushrooms have the flavor, texture, and size that make a perfect replacement for burgers, steak, and even ground beef.  

Pork. Maitake mushrooms work great for pulled “pork” in a BBQ sandwich and can be baked for vegetarian “bacon.”

Seafood. Lion’s Mane mushrooms have a texture and slightly sweet flavor that can replace seafood in just about any recipe.

Related: Make Your Grocery Budget Work For You With Mushrooms

Sustainability Takes a Village

Although we all have a role to protect the environment, no one needs to do it alone. Monterey Mushrooms is committed to sustainability at every turn.

Enhancing People’s Lives

Our goal at Monterey Mushrooms is to enhance people’s lives, and that means protecting our planet is critically important to us. Every decision we make promotes the long-term sustainability of our environment: our planet, our culture, our company, our values, our people, and the people we feed. 

At Monterey, we grow with sustainability in mind along the entire journey — from our farms to your table. 

Our Farming

Mushrooms are inherently a sustainable food choice, but mushrooms from Monterey are so much more than that.

Our growing process uses recycled materials, requires less water and electricity, and reduces waste. 

We also: 

1. Create the compost we grow mushrooms in with secondary and tertiary agricultural products that might otherwise end up in landfills or incinerated.
2. Use vertical stacking to grow the most mushrooms in the smallest space. 
3. Recycle water by collecting runoff.
4. Partner with companies that can repurpose our post-growing mushroom compost for other agricultural or landscaping needs.

Our Packaging

We use sustainable food packaging for all of our products. 

At your grocer, you see our individual mushroom packs — known as tills — on the shelves. These tills are made with 100% post-consumer recycled materials sourced entirely from North America and use near-infrared (NIR) detectible material so they can be more easily sorted later. 

So when you recycle your used Monterey Mushrooms containers at facilities with NIR sorting equipment, you can be confident that you are part of the sustainable solution as your old tills will be recycled into new products. .

Our Transportation

At Monterey Mushrooms, we have seven packing facilities strategically located across North America to shorten how far our mushrooms travel. The result? You get fresher mushrooms for your meals and we minimize our carbon footprint.

Put Sustainability on Your Family’s Table

Putting sustainable produce on your plates is good for you and your family, and mushrooms are an easy (and delicious) choice. Looking for ways to add more produce to your table without spending too much time?

We put 16 flavor-packed recipes into a weekly meal planner to take the weight off your shoulders for the month. Each week includes a shopping list, easy-to-follow instructions, and quick recipe video. And the best part? Each recipe takes 30 minutes or less to prepare. 

Download the meal plans and make greener choices today!

More Ways to Enjoy Mushrooms

• Mushroom Kebabs
• Pickled Mushrooms
• Baked Mushrooms with Lemon and Gruyere
• Mushroom and Onion Butter Board
• Porcini Mushroom and Broccoli Rabe Risotto
• Mushroom Vegan Tacos