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Have yourself a sustainable Christmas

Greening-Your-Christmas

by Tammy Fry Kelly, Marketing Director – Fry’s Family Foods

Let Your Heart Be Light

I just walked into the shops this weekend to find myself faced with shelves and shelves of Christmas goodies, baubles, tinsel, lights and the list goes on and on! The retailers are all over the Christmas mayhem – let me reword that… the retailers are creating the Christmas mayhem.  Most of these goodies are of course “made in India” or “made in China”.  Although I do not have a problem with imported goods, I do have a problem with creating plastic junk that ends up in boxes in my house or in the dump.

I always try and look at the bright side of things, so I have decided that seeing that I do have a few weeks to prepare for 1 day, I should not give in to those last-minute emergency gift-buying sprees and start to think like the eco-conscious girl that I am!

#ComesTheResearch

Did you know?

1) Last year, 75% of people received a gift that they didn’t want.

2) 13.7% of people will throw away these unwanted presents

3) Gumtree estimated that 14.3 million unwanted gifts were given last year!

4) South Africans produce over 10 million tons of waste every year

Christmas Gifting
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Let’s get sustainable:

If you intend to buy a material object, think twice. To quote a funny man;

“A house is just a place where we keep our stuff while we go out and buy more stuff” – George Carlin

Choose experiences over stuff or something to look forward to after the one single day.  Why not a voucher for a restaurant or a cooking class; instead of a new coffee machine. Sign your dad up for a gardening class over the weed wacker. There are some fantastic Digital Magazines available and they make the perfect e-stocking gift.

The options here are endless; membership trials for a gym/dance/yoga/Crossfit/surfing class… or a spa treatment are far more valuable than more things.

Sustainable Seasoning’s Eatings
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Christmas is about giving and remembering why we give – let’s not let Christmas become about materialism and the turkey on the table. If you are truly wanting a sustainable Christmas, then you would need to look at the foods you are consuming. Food choices have the biggest impact on the environment.

Consider what you are eating at your Christmas Dinner. Turkeys are one of the worst treated animals in factory farms so please think compassionately when you choose. There are plenty meat-free options to choose from, check out these 6 ways to have the best vegetarian Christmas. Eat less meat and more veg. A plant-based diet is not only better for the environment but is also better for your health. Try and at least commit to eating a flexitarian diet (consciously cutting out meat a few days a week).

And last but not least, do something or give something to someone in need. Adopt a grandparent who may not have family to share Christmas with, give to someone in need, or assist a community group with an initiative that they already have. By making someone else feel good, you too will feel good.

Here’s to a more sustainable, healthy and compassionate Christmas! Do you have any more tips? Let me know now!

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DIY Christmas decorations

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Reuse and Recycle this Christmas

The festive season is usually a time of eating too much food, drinking too much, and excess merriment. This year why not reduce and reuse by making your own DIY Christmas Decorations? These simple Christmas decorations will save you a trip to the store (that means not having to listen to Jingle Bells in the aisles!) and you will be able to give your green boxes a second life.

Christmas Gift Tags

What you will need:
– Any Fry’s Box
– Colourful Ribbons
– Scissors
– A pencil
– A punch
03Step 1:
Using your pencil, draw out the shape that you’d like your tags to be on the inside of your Fry’s box.

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Step 2:
Cut your shape out.
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Step 3:
Punch a hole at the top of your shape. Try to get it as centered as you can.
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Step 4:
Tie a bow at the top and you’re done!
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Festive Fry’s Wreath

What you’ll need:
– Any 2 Fry’s boxes
– A cardboard box
– Multi-Purpose glue
– Scissors
– A pencil
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Step 1:
Draw out a leaf shape on the back of one of your fry’s boxes. You’ll need quite a few leaves so repeat this process until you think you have enough.
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Step 2:
Cut out all your leaf shapes.

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You should end up with quite a few leaves like this:

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Step 3:
Draw a circle with a smaller circle in the centre on the cardboard box.

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Step 4:
Cut out the circle as well as the circle in the centre.
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You should end up with something like this:
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Step 5:
Add glue to your cardboard circle.
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Step 6:
Glue all your leaves onto the circle.
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Step 7:
Tie a bow to the bottom and you’re done!

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Christmas tree decorations:

What you’ll need:– Any 2 Fry’s Boxes
– Multi-purpose glue
– Pliers
– A pencil
– Scissors
– Bendable wire
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Step 1:
Draw 12 circles onto the back of your Fry’s box and cut your circles out as neatly as possible! We know this is easier said than done though!
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Step 2:
Wrap the wire around your circles and glue the circles closest to the wire together.
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Step 5:
Fold out all of your circles and tie a ribbon on the top… you’re done!

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And there you go! Reuse and recycle this Christmas with Fry’s.

Looking for more DIY Christmas ideas? Check out these!

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6 Ways to have the best vegetarian Christmas

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This collection of vegetarian Christmas recipes and vegan holiday tips will make this year’s festivities the best yet

The festive season is upon us so it is time to throw the diet plan out the window, ready the almond milk for Santa’s arrival and hear your crazy uncle’s latest idea for a “better-than-sliced-bread” invention. The Fry’s family has been in the kitchen and we have come up with some delicious recipes and tips which will make this season’s eatings full of joy and merriment.

1. Glazed Game On
with roasted onions, pineapples and cherry tomatoes.

The Christmas classic gets a meat-free spin with our polony. The centre of the table will now be complete with a mouth-watering roast infused with garlic.

polony

– Get the Recipe!

2. Vegan Eggnog
With coconut milk and nutmeg (plus a bit of bourbon).

Go dairy-free with this version of the family favourite. We are sure Santa will be happy to have nog with his cookies

– Get cookie recipe!

Vegan-Eggnogg

– Get the Recipe!

3. Mini Hot Dog Rolls
with Fry’s Hot Dogs and sesame seeds.

These are great for starters to get festivities started. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and micro greens.

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– Get the Recipe!

4. Vegan Gravy
Gravy baby, yeah.

Gravy goes with everything! Mash potatoes, veggies, you name it.

Vegan-Gravy

– Get the Recipe!

5. Poppin’ Pear Salad
Strawberries, pears, pops and greens.

Salads at Christmas? Of course when there are Fry’s Meat Free Pops!

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– Get the Recipe!

6. Christmas Pudding
Under the mistletoe. 

You will be pudding this in your mouth because it’s so good.

Vegan-Christmas-Pudding

– Get the Recipe!

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