Veganuary? Been there, done that. Dry January? Not so much. Any other smart ideas for a new year food revolution? Actually, now you mention it. Ever heard of Regenuary? Well, neither had we. But once we did, it kind of blew us away. When there’s a new foodie trend in town, we’re sold. Let us tell you more.
Love your food and love your planet? Then this is right up your street. Regenuary is about eating a sustainable diet that includes meat. It means you can still enjoy a juicy steak and not feel like you’re doing untold damage to our precious planet. Sound like a plan? We think so!
Firstly, let’s get the basics straight. Pronunciation. Say ‘re-jen-uary’, a bit like regenerate. Got it? Well, that’s the hardest part. The rest is simple. Can you manage, for one month, to source as much of your food as possible from regenerative farming? What’s that? Again, simpler than it sounds.
It’s a type of farming that is designed to reverse climate change, or at least slow it down, by rebuilding soil organic matter, resulting in carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle. A bit technical. If you can’t get your head around it, don’t worry, just know that it makes our planet happy.
So, what to buy? If it says organic or biodymanic on the box, that’s a good start. Packaging regulations have ramped up their requirements which makes the whole thing a walk in the park. Companies doing great things for the planet are (or certainly should be) shouting about it on their packaging. It takes about 10 minutes more in the supermarket, but it’s worth reading before you buy.
It’s always a great idea to buy directly from small producers and keep an eye out for farmers’ markets but we know that’s not always practical, especially during a pandemic. But do look out for food sourced from local suppliers, which means a reduced footprint in getting it to you, minimising the impact of transport.
Following the rise and rise of veganism, Regenuary encourages people to opt for consciously-reared grass-fed meat in small quantities. Why the about-turn?
Experts have discovered that fake meat is produced from highly processed plant-based products grown from fairly environmentally unfriendly mono crops which are often imported into the UK from abroad. They also highlighted the fact that we import mountains of avocados and soy-based ‘meats’ to tempt the vegan market, but what impact are we actually having? Are we saving the planet? Avocado and soya have been blamed for deforestation and water pollution, so maybe not.
So, to eat meat or not? There’s no straightforward answer, but the Regenuary movement aims to create an awareness that it’s possible to consume either diet in a low or a high impact way.
We’re far from perfect at Quattro but we want our planet to survive and we will continue supporting better farming for a healthier and more sustainable future. Regenuary is a good place to start. Fancy increasing biodiversity and enhancing the ecosystem over breakfast? Join us!