Happy New Year

It has certainly been another year to remember and I think it’s fair to say that it has quite a rollercoaster for many.

If the past couple of years has taught me anything, it is to take nothing for granted and to enjoy as many moments as I can with family and friends. I hope you have had some time to reflect over the holiday period too.

This year, 2022 there will be lots happening at Zero Waste Bulk Foods, including the launch of an exciting new product – stay tuned!!

I love to write goals at the start of each year, and break them down. Here are some for 2022:

Every January, the first on my list is to get back on track making healthy/er meals! The key for me is planning. Every single January I plan to get back on track and cook wholesome, healthy foods for my family. December is usually a whirlwind of eating a bit too much of the wrong foods (and drink!), so I find January is a great time to get back on track.

• Plan your meals for the week and do not head out shopping on an empty stomach! Plan your meals, stick to it, and try to buy SOUL foods where possible – seasonal, organic, unprocessed and local.
• Then batch cook. Once I’ve batch cooked, I usually keep some in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch/tea and then split the rest into portions and freeze. On those super busy days when you come home, aching for your favourite healthy meal and don’t feel like cooking – just head to the fridge / freezer – you’ll thank me for it! It also makes packed lunches really painless - just heat up a meal and pop it in an insulated container in their lunch box.

Sort unwanted / unused clothes / toys / that drawer/room and donate / sell.

• Start with one room at a time.
• If you have kids like mine, then as Christmas brings in lots of new toys, some of the old ones are forgotten.
• Personally, I like to go through my wardrobe and donate anything that hasn’t been worn in the past 18 months.

Invest in a compost bin and convert your food waste into nutrient dense food for your garden. My county council has teamed up with getcomposting.com to offer reduced rates for compost converters – worth having a look to see if yours does too. (I am not affiliated with getcomposting.com at all – just wanted to share the offer).

Batteries – we have sooo many items needing batteries! I made the change to rechargeable batteries a couple of years ago and will never go back (so this isn’t on my zero waste goal list this year, but it was a couple of years ago). Less waste and no last-minute trips to the shops to buy spares – just pop them in the charger to recharge!

Happy New Year!