My sustainable habits on the go.

3 out of 3

I’ve always traveled a lot for work. It might be less now that I have a dog, but I still travel a lot compared to most people.

What I’ve learned, however, is that, if you ever want to impress a stewardess, pull out your own coffee cup and ask them to pour your drink in that.

Sophia Hoffmann, my favorite chef, once said that bringing her own cutlery, her own plate, and her own coffee cup might be a small hassle for her. Yet every time she pulls it out, it might impact the people who see her do so. Sarah Reindl, the founder of the zero-waste store Das.Gramm in Graz, also brings her own straw whenever she goes out and has already inspired several people to follow her lead.

The reason why I’ve written these three articles about my sustainable habits and have gone into great detail on how I deal with my period or what arguments actually managed to make me want to go vegan is the example we set with our actions.

This third article (Parts 1 and 2 are here) explores the habits I’ve established that, despite my jetsetter lifestyle, I’ve somehow managed to make attainable.

Bringing my own lunch

I used to be someone who ate out A LOT. Eating out is fast. It's also extremely convenient. As someone who is used to eating a warm meal for lunch (blame my upbringing), it was out of the question to bring sandwiches along. It never worked for me and so I continued eating out.

However, and as it sometimes is with freelancing, you might not have any projects for several months.

Eating out does come with a price tag. In the first quarter of this year, I earned close to nothing, and I needed a solution that would be tasty but also help save money.

I decided to splurge and spend € 36 on a Thermobox from Eco Brotbox. It was fascinating for me to see it paid off within just one week of not eating out.

I also needed to start cooking more.

Before I go into any more detail on that, I do have to say that I'm someone who likes to cook.

At some point in my lazy twenties, I realized that cooking could be a very creative activity. Even better: You’ll get immediate feedback. Either the food is tasty...or it's not. And what's so good about a Thermobox is that the food gets to sit in it for hours, which makes it extremely flavourful.

Cooking for me in the morning usually takes about 20 minutes. I do so while I'm preparing breakfast. The way I do it is not great for someone without a dishwasher, as I usually need a pot and two pans to get the sort of meal I like. I do get bored of food quite quickly; thus, I prefer to have three different layers in my Thermobox.

I usually make barley, rice, bulgur, or a potato mash as a base. Then, I typically sauté onions and add carrots or some other veg as my second layer. I might add dices of tofu or some other plant-based protein. I also add flax seeds or sunflower seeds. For the third layer, I usually make another veggie combination. It might be Brussels sprouts or some root that I know will get better the longer it sits in my Thermobox.

My ultimate secret when cooking is that I don't sauté veggies with water; I either use orange or apple juice, and sometimes I use wine or beer to maximize the flavor. I also like to use herb mixes from Sonnentor, which I believe makes for the great taste of my cooking.

Now, there are three reasons why bringing a lunch box works for me:

• It tastes much better. Because the food sits in its own steam for about five hours, I get a #foodgasm every time I have lunch.

• It's an investment of 20 minutes every day, which I'd otherwise spend walking somewhere and waiting for the food someone else made. I can also control the supply chain of how I source the produce I cook with, which I cannot when eating out.

• Last but not least, I can still meet with others for lunch at the Factory in Berlin, as I can even join people at the restaurant while eating from my own lunch box. It’s losing this social element that worried me the most before I decided to just show up with my own food.

B) I eat with my own cutlery

Often when we eat out, we tend to use disposable cutlery. It's convenient to have someone else pack our food with all the tools and then throw it all out.

Once I started cooking my lunch, I had to figure out what cutlery I'll bring along. I bought a few options until I found one that works for me.

I wanted my cutlery to be in a case that keeps it clean. I wanted the cutlery to be light. Plus, it also needed to be the sort of cutlery you can take with you through the security check at the airport or in a museum. I use this cutlery, and I love it.

While it’s not dishwasher safe, it’s not much of a hassle to quickly clean it under running water.

I must admit I had to buy a proper backpack now that I carry so many utensils for me and for my dog. But life has become so much pleasurable in these small things that I do, just like the various practices I’ve established over the years.

(*** This is part three of my sustainable food series. Find parts 1 and 2 here.)