Cutting down your meat and dairy consumption is one of the biggest ways to easily change your habits whilst keeping in shape and saving the planet. There are several plant-based high-protein sources which can easily be used as substitutes for meat products, including soya products, nuts, grains and beans. In addition, plant-based diets can lower cholesterol and help to improve athletes blood flow. This, coupled with the vast array of specially designed products such as vegetarian protein bars, means it is now, more than ever, so easy to make your diet more sustainable.

Whilst diet and nutrition are important, where and how you shop is so important for reducing waste and your carbon footprint. Luckily, Norwich is packed full of shops and market stalls to make sure you are buying both sustainable and healthy products. There are two ‘zero-waste’ shops which pride themselves on being plastic free as well as several refill stations: including one on campus in the Hive. Along with these shops there are hundreds of places selling unpackaged fruit and veg, such as the market stalls and rainbow whole foods.

Shopping locally and in season will also help to reduce air pollution through reduced transportation and shipping. Making sure the products are grown in the UK is a great first step, just look for the red tractor on boxes as this is a sign of being grown in the UK. Ask shop owners where your products come from. For more information, the Netflix ‘Game Changers’ documentary is a great place to learn more and understand the importance of the issue. Finally, be curious, ask questions, and have fun looking for new alternatives for your diet!

Making a change to our lives can always be a challenge! Whether it be remembering to turn off a light, walking to training rather than driving or changing your diet, the challenge can often be to remember to consistently do it so that your sustainable change become your new normal.

Submitted by Milo Fletcher, 2nd Year International Development, Cricket Publicity Officer 2020/21