Sampling local cuisine can be one of the best parts of going on holiday. If you’re an avid foodie, travel can offer a delicious opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and explore a foreign culture with your palate.

But have you ever stopped to think about how what you eat on holiday impacts your carbon footprint, and therefore the planet around us? This short guide unpacks the different factors that contribute to the impact of the food you’re eating abroad.

Travel distance

How far the ingredients that make up your dish have traveled is one of the first things to consider when calculating your food footprint. Consider that the components will have been packed for travel, which means energy and likely some form of plastic to ensure freshness. Then, they’ll have been put on a plane, ship, and/or truck to get to whatever restaurant or supermarket you’re patronizing. Research suggests that food miles account for one-fifth of total food-system emissions.

When eating out, you can combat this by opting for regional dishes that feature local ingredients, rather than sticking to something that’s familiar to you but produced thousands of miles away. (This will also make your meals more memorable!) When shopping, try to buy fruit and vegetables at a local market rather than from big chains.

Seasonality

Many of us now have access to the same fruits and vegetables year-round, thanks to modern growing technologies and global shipping. However, simulating seasonal conditions artificially requires a lot more energy than harvesting ingredients in accordance with Mother Nature.

In light of this, be sure to ask your waiter, “What’s the best dish this time of year?” This way, you’ll gain insight into what’s actually seasonal and ensure you receive naturally grown, locally sourced, and yes, delicious ingredients. Getting a recommendation from locals in general is always a good idea. Even if they suggest something out of your comfort zone, why not be brave and try something new? It’s a specialty for a reason. Just remember to mention if you’ve got any specific dietary requirements, such as being vegan or having an allergy.

Protein choice

You may already be aware that different types of food have different carbon footprints as a result of farming, feed, and water requirements. For example, beef has a carbon impact of around 60kg CO2e per kg, whereas that of fish is much lower, around 5kg CO2e per kg. So, the protein you choose to eat on your travels (and at home) does matter a great deal. This is definitely something to keep in mind while traveling — especially since many of us tend to eat more and consume richer foods when abroad.

Food waste

If you have a habit of overfilling your plate at the buffet, it might be time for a change. While some hotels and restaurants are doing a lot to tackle food waste, it’s still a big climate issue, especially on holiday. Collectively, if human food waste were a country, it would be the third-biggest contributor to GHG emissions in the world.

While much of this waste occurs early in the supply chain, the waste that is within your control as a consumer is especially important to minimize, since so much energy went into getting that food to the restaurant or grocery store before you ever laid eyes on it.

You might be thinking, “But isn’t food waste biodegradable?” It is, but biodegradation in an oxygen-poor landfill context results in massive amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that accelerates global warming even faster than the usual culprit, carbon dioxide.

With all this in mind, try to only ever put food on your plate that you’re actually likely to eat – you can always order more or return to the buffet once you’ve cleared your first plate. By embracing such responsible behavior, you’re reducing your own carbon impact while also incentivizing the restaurant to order less of it moving forward.

Don’t overstress — just do your best

You shouldn’t be constantly worrying about the planet when you’re eating, especially on vacation: food is there to be enjoyed. However, making even small changes to how you eat can go a long way toward alleviating the stresses on our planet — and can even improve your dining experience! With that said, bon voyage, and thanks for thinking about your impact.

As a food lover and travel enthusiast, Lesley enjoys sharing sustainable travel tips to help others discover new corners of the world without damaging our planet.

Banner image courtesy of Narda Yescas, Pexels; thumbnail image courtesy of Macourt Media, Pixabay.