Sustainable Eating: A Six-Month Reflection On My NZ-Made Food Challenge
Imported food used to be a rich person’s way to show off at a dinner party. “Oh look darling, it’s winter but we’re eating tomatoes!” Chortle chortle. It was a way to show off; a snobbish act only those at the top of society’s food chain could afford. But now, I’d bet that the majority of the food sitting in your pantry was either made in another country or at least contains ingredients grown elsewhere. I don’t mean to point fingers, it’s just that imported food has become the norm and we don’t really think about it.
Globalisation has done all sorts of weird things to our food costs and availability. Garlic grown in Aotearoa New Zealand can be up to three times more expensive than garlic grown in China. And if we didn’t have a trading connection with Thailand, Aotearoa New Zealand wouldn’t have rice crackers.
I know all this because for the last 6 months I have only bought groceries that are made in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2018 I completed the Minimalist Game, in 2022 I challenged myself to a Wardrobe Freeze, and this year I’m doing NZ made food only. Don’t ask me ‘why so many challenges’. I guess I just like going all in for a set amount of time to learn more about how I want to live my life. Only eating NZ made food isn’t a goal to stick to for the rest of my life, but doing this for a year will help push me to support local, understand more about our food landscape and capabilities, and connect more with what’s on my plate.
Let’s recap on the rules of 2024’s sustainable eating challenge (you can read all about why I started this sustainable food challenge here).
The ‘Rules’
Buy NZ made food only
Seek out NZ grown food as much as possible (especially foods that we DO grow here)
No demands for NZ made food when socialising: eat the damn food and be grateful for it - otherwise 2024 would be the year of losing friends because I am also coeliac.
I can eat the food already in my possession (otherwise that would be wasteful)
How it’s actually going
6 months in and I am incredibly grateful for rule three. Secretly, my friends and family know that if I am coming over for dinner they should definitely cook rice. Oh goodness, even just typing that word makes me crave the stuff. As a coeliac, rice is my go-to. My rock. To have gone without buying it for 6 months is one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever done. Rule number four has come in handy too; it’s eased me into the challenge. Now that it’s July my diet is becoming a little more boring because some of the sauces in my pantry have been used up. I also just used my last cup of raisins.
My diet consists mainly of locally grown produce, eggs (from Anni), meat (Premium Game wild hunted meat or fish - I am lucky to have married a fisherman), and bread (The Alternative Bread Co). I’ve found delicious Walnuts (Uncle Joe’s) and sunflower seeds (Summerhill Seeds) too. This sounds like a very boring basic life, but I promise you I eat a variety. Here are some pictures of my meals.
Fruit and vegetables have been the easiest part of this challenge. It’s fairly easy to find locally grown produce near me. I’ve been buying boxes from Misfit Garden who deliver locally grown produce from farmers who give them what they have, rather than demanding what they should grow. The box is full of ‘misfits’ that would not have been acceptable for retail sale in most supermarkets. It’s incredible value; fruit and vegetable boxes are generally cheaper than the supermarket these days - you can find 13 brilliant New Zealand based fruit and vegetable box companies with locally grown produce here.
One of the most frustrating parts about this challenge has been label reading. As a coeliac, I am not a stranger to reading the label on my food before consuming it, but finding the ‘made in’ section is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And when you do find it, it’s sometimes even more consuming. “Curated in” “Produced in” and “Crafted in” are just some of the tricky language companies use to confuse us. With no regulation on stating the origin of the food, any company can say pretty much anything. I do like finding the products that say ‘made in Australia’ as they then specify the percentage of the ingredients that were grown in Australia too. If only we had that here!
The foods I miss most
Rice. If you find a rice field in NZ, please contact me immediately.
Ginger. I no longer miss this one as a lovely friend sent me some from the Whangarei farmer’s market and Karla from Six Acres Farm gave me some when visiting New Plymouth too. But gosh it has been hard to come by - I have been rationing it.
Bananas. Summer was amazing. I had plenty of bananas in my diet, especially as I found myself in Northland quite a lot. But in the depths of winter, bananas are more scarce. I’ve been sent lovely pictures from thoughtful followers who see them at their local markets, but living on the Hibiscus Coast with no commute and a very low desire to get in a car to drive hours to get to bananas… means no bananas for me. Though I will confess: when I had my period last month I ate one of Tim’s Filipino bananas. I just needed something, and I couldn’t stop myself as I grabbed it and shoved it in my mouth. No regrets.
Pasta. Pasta used to be a quick easy meal for me; something I could rely upon and cook up in 10 minutes as a cheap meal. But this year it’s a delicacy. Mamma’s Amore pasta is absolutely delicious and I loved meeting the team in Hawkes Bay (where it’s made), just not a cheap meal.
Coconut milk. I used to cook with cans of coconut milk around 3 times a week. But even though there are brilliant ethically sourced coconut milks (and creams) out there, they’re rarely made in Aotearoa New Zealand. This has really changed the way I cook. I used to eat a lot more curry. But these days the curry has cow’s milk or we ditch the curry plan and eat the meat/vegetables, grilled.
Pulses. I’ve struggled with less chickpeas, beans, and other pulses. I used to get these in bulk from my local package free store but they’re all made and grown overseas. I’ve been doing some low key investigation and it looks like although we do grow some pulses in New Zealand, they’re not sold on a commercial scale and some are used for stock feed.
Tea. Going into this challenge, I knew my hot beverages would be an issue. I’m black tea obsessed. There is a particular tea, grown in Assam, India, that I’ve had almost every morning for the last few years. I knew it would be hard to get by without it. Having almost used it up, on the 16th of February I ditched caffeine. I went from thinking about my morning cup of tea as I went off to sleep, to not having it at all. I could buy the black tea grown by Zealong in Waikato, but personally I think it isn’t tasty (I’d rather go without). I was also fascinated by what would happen to me without caffeine. Turns out my energy is more sustained; I am more grounded at the start of my day and less tired in the afternoons. I have the occasional decaffeinated coffee (NZ made - remember my rules are NZ made not NZ grown) but apart from that I go without. I’ve taken to getting mint or kawakawa leaves from the garden to steep in hot water instead. Though another confession… I have been drinking a few cups of tea not made in Aotearoa New Zealand that weren’t already in my possession. Clipper produces ethically made (though not NZ made) teas. They asked if I would be open to receiving some to try. I told them about my challenge but knew that guests and Tim would still enjoy them so I said yes. My intent was to offer them to guests only… but their decaffeinated black tea called my name and the herbal flavours smelt too good when I brewed them for guests, I ended up having a few cups. I don’t regret a thing. *but it does feel good to get this off my chest.
Am I spending more money on food?
This was a myth I set out to bust during the challenge, but I am finding it hard to compare our weekly food spend from before and during the challenge. Firstly, I am coeliac. So that means my food is (in general) more expensive. A loaf of gluten free bread is around $10 (luckily I make my own). So to do a cost comparison wouldn’t be relevant to most people’s budgets (as most people are not coeliac). Secondly, Tim and I have been housesitting and travelling for most of the year. This means we haven’t had a regular food shop. We’ve also been guests a lot (gosh we are grateful). Our eating habits for this first half of the year do not properly reflect a ‘normal’ spend. A cost comparison wouldn’t make sense or hold any weight. I am frustrated by this, but it’s simply the way the NZ made cookie has crumbled.
My practical sense and gut says that I don’t spend any more or any less. For example, the extra money I spend on my New Zealand grown garlic (Temata Garlic) is offset by the items (pasta, rice, snacks) that I do not buy. I’m not saying I don’t buy snacks (I am a sucker for NZ made Vinegar and Salt Wakachangi chips), but I just buy less of them as they’re often not made in Aotearoa New Zealand and I eat bigger main meals that consist of cheaper, seasonal vegetables and fruit.
Am I getting all the nutrients I need?
I believe I am eating a healthier diet by doing this challenge. I have always eaten a lot of whole foods, I’ve boycotted McDonalds since 2017 and I don’t just ‘pop up the road’ when I crave something. But the boundaries of this year have meant I am far more thoughtful about what is on my plate. I rarely eat processed food and I eat a wide variety. While I write this, the oven contains roasting beetroot, kumera, potatoes, and two large kingfish steaks from Tim’s successful fishing day. I’ll add some sunflower seeds on top, perhaps a little hempseed oil too.
Going without rice has meant I eat a lot more quinoa (far more nutrient rich than rice) too.
To summarise, I am halfway there and I’m doing okay. Some parts are easier than I thought, like the blissful enjoyment of simple meals, but others are harder (I didn’t envisage feeling a little forced to give up caffeine and I’m starting to daydream about rice an unhealthy amount). When I set out to do this challenge my purposes included:
Discovering and supporting new businesses in the food sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Understanding what we grow here.
Reducing my ‘food miles’.
Boycotting large corporations.
Connecting more with my food.
I’ve felt all of these in action, but a few surprising things that have been added to this list so far:
Amazing friendships made with people in the NZ food industry.
An adjustment in how I make meals (I really just eat what is available to me, no recipes or shopping lists).
A deep appreciation for rice.
Regardless of the fact I’ve mentioned the word rice 10 times in this blog post, I am determined to keep going. I feel like I’m only just getting started.
Continue following along with my NZ made food challenge on Instagram.
