March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is Fueling for the Future. This theme highlights a shift towards foods that nourish and sustain our bodies, support local food systems, and foster healthy relationships to food. This month at Lexington Co-op we are celebrating the power of nutrition through weekly blog posts providing tips, tricks, and resources to help our shoppers and community fuel for the future! For the first week of National Nutrition Month, we will explore the idea of eating with the environment in mind.  

Eating with the Environment in Mind 

Small changes in how one spends their food dollars can have a tremendously positive impact on the local environment, and when our environment is healthy it can provide foods that are even more nourishing for us. Entertain yourself with these tips for how to put your food dollars towards nourishing your body and the environment:   

🌱 Enjoy more plant-based meals and snacks.  

🌱 Plant-based foods generally leave less of a carbon footprint to produce, and they provide our body with important nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Enjoying more plant-based foods can be as simple as preparing one dinner a week without animal products. Need inspiration? Check out the NCG Co-op website for tons of plant-based meal + snack ideas. 

🌱 Purchase foods with minimal packaging.  

🌱 Lexington Co-op offers a large bulk station in both stores that can help you with cutting back on packaging. Use the bulk station for making trail mix with your favorite nuts + seeds for quick snacks or loading up on grains, such as quinoa, to bulk up salads, soups, or prepare a one-skillet meal!  

🌱 For granola or granola bar lovers, consider making homemade alternatives to your favorite brand to cut back on waste. Check out this highly rated and versatile recipe for Fruit and Nut Granola Bars!

🌱 Get creative with how you utilize food packaging you have on hand. Many jars from nut butters, salsas, or seasonings can be repurposed for storing leftovers, on-the-go snacks, or for use at the bulk station!  

🌱 Buy foods that are in season, and shop locally when possible.  

🌱 Lexington Co-op takes pride in providing local and seasonal foods to our shoppers all year round. Eating locally sourced foods has great benefits such as enjoying fresher, tastier foods that have more nutrients due to lesser travel time from producer to consumer. Look for the red LOCAL logo on shelf tags to know which co-op products have been locally acquired within 400 miles.  

🌱 For a list of seasonally available foods in WNY check out this resource. 

🌱 Start a container or backyard garden to grow food at home.

🌱All kinds of produce seeds are available at Lexington Co-op so you can put your green thumb to the test! Check out this resource if you’re interested in learning more about growing your own foods at home.