1. Preparation

The first step in healthy eating is food preparation. How the food is produced, stored and prepared determines how safe it is to the body and the environment. Large-scale production requires the use of chemicals to preserve (like grains) or ripening (like fruits) which might contaminate the food. Food processing is also another mechanism, with the eventual product having traces of preservatives and catalysts.

For a healthy environment, food preservation can assimilate traditional methods such as the granary, which is well aired and raised above the ground to keep it rodent-free. For fruits, let the ripening occur naturally. These practices help in keeping both the consumers healthy, the soil and environment kept free from chemical contamination.

2. Consumption

The rise of petroleum products has tried to simplify the art of carrying household items. Carrier bags are widely used to carry food, which poses a risk of contamination with cancerous causing metals like Lead. If a person consumes food, especially hot food on a plastic container, he or she risks contracting cancer in the long run.

It is healthy to eat food on a wooden, glass or traditional guards because there is no reaction on the walls of the container due to the heat produced by the hot food. This keeps the food uncontaminated, therefore safe for consumption. Also, it is advisable to consume naturally prepared food as it can decompose upon disposal.

3. Disposal

Disposal is a menace, especially when dealing with leftovers after an event. It is hazardous to the environment if proper waste disposal is not factored. The leftovers might cause either a chemical imbalance to the soil, an unpleasant smell in the surrounding or the packaging (which in most cases is plastic) might cause an environmental nuisance.

Gathering such as parties can use reusable sandwich wraps to distribute food, effectively curbing disposal headache. These reusable lunch bags can be cleaned and be used more than once, and if they are worn out, they can decompose.

4. Commercial

For people in the hospitality industry, food is a complex mixture of additives, both natural and man-made, to produce unique products. Such products are sumptuous and are enjoyed by many. These creations have a lot of fats and other food seasoning additives. When they decompose, they end up polluting the environment and cause health risk to animals that might consume them or an awful smell.

It is advised to use natural herbs for seasoning and have a robust waste disposal mechanism for large hotels and restaurants.

5. Mannerism

Much as it is a personal attribute, how a person behaves while eating contributes to how the environment correlates. A lousy eater (eating mouth open, talking while eating or even gluttonous eating) makes the environment unfit for collective eating.

It is good table manners to eat silently, keep the mouth shut, ask for something or to excuse yourself when you want to do something not related to eating.

Anna Jones
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