Why Slow Shopping Is Good

This Sunday marks the first of July. You may have seen us promoting an important message for this month, Plastic-Free July.  But also happening on the first day of this month, is the first Digital Detox Day NZ. The day is being run by Y & X, with the idea behind it being that we all put our phones and screens away for a full day and focus on the present moment – life as it is. Encouraging us to do more wholesome activities like getting outside into nature, hiking, wandering or cooking from scratch. Which to be honest, should never be limited to a specific date.

In light of this day however, we thought we’d give you a suggestion of what you could do with your slow (digi-free) Sunday…

We present, Slow Shopping.

This way of shopping is important for so many reasons, so many of us are unconsciously shopping, with the aim of the game being convenience and speed.

But as we know, what we eat has a direct impact on how we feel day-to-day, so it’s important that we know exactly what we’re eating and where it came from.

Shopping at a GoodFor Store is a slow and mindful way to shop. Perhaps not as convenient as a supermarket, but if you flip your perspective it can actually be a very therapeutic, rewarding and fun way to shop. You bring in your jars or bottles and you can take your time, browsing the bins and picking your favourites or essentials. It’s a place to feel inspired to cook and experience with new and creative ingredients.

We have an extensive range of organic wholefood ingredients so you can stock up your entire pantry and feel virtuous doing so, knowing you’re not adding to the waste problem in the world or creating more clutter in your own pantry.  You will eventually have an aesthetically pleasing pantry that has only the ingredients you need or want, rather than a whole bunch of packages that will never see the light of day.

For the rest of the grocery list – fresh produce, cheeses, bread, meat and fish… well, this can also be purchased in specialty stores – as it should be!

For fresh vegetables you can visit your local farmer’s market or at a local organic community garden on the weekend. This way you’ll also only get what’s in season rather than a bunch of vegetables grown indoors.

For bread, head to your local bakery and stock up on the freshest of bread in brown paper bags. Invest in a bread bin and keep you loaves fresh and fluffy for the week ahead.

For meat and fish, head to your local organic butcher or fish monger and stock up on only what you need – remember to ask for a plastic-free order – take your own tupperware or ask for wax paper and newspaper.

For yoghurt, condiments and cheese, find a specialty grocer that is happy to pack your cheese in brown paper or honey wraps for you. And for the rest, either try your hand at making your own or purchase the goods in glass containers.

Back to your relaxing slow digital-free Sunday…make sure you have fun, create something, read a book or really do nothing and just BE.