Everything You Need to Prep for The Green14!

Hi Green14 challengers!

We’re so excited you’ve joined Clean Eating’s eco challenge, The Green14. This revamped and refreshed challenge includes new daily eco tips via email – but before you can get started putting our daily tips into practice, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready to dive in to all the next two weeks entail. Here are just a few things you’ll need for our 2 weeks together, gettin’ green! 

For cooking inspiration, plant-based recipes and meal plans you can try throughout the challenge, visit our challenge hub here. Everything you need, from resources on stocking your kitchen to creating greener habits throughout your home to expert tips, can be found here. 

Whether you’re moving through our daily tips over the next 14 days or want to jump into the challenge at your own pace, you’ve also pulled together some great plant-based recipe inspiration. Try these meals any time (even after you’ve completed the challenge!) whenever you’d like to make your diet more eco-friendly and a little more plant-based. You’ll find a wealth of inspiration in our stunning Easy, Plant-Based Meals cookbook, which provides you with over 80 inspired plant-based recipes. 

Also, you’ll find tons of resources in the online Green14 challenge hub. We’ve included extra articles, tips and expert insight around gardening, composting, understanding greenwashing, minimizing food waste, greener grilling, understanding recycling symbols and so much more. You can explore all of this eye-opening information at your own pace. It’s especially helpful if you’re looking to become more informed about daily habits that will save you money and help you do your part for the planet! 

Before we dive into the challenge itself, now’s the time to gather the items you’ll need over the course of the next two weeks and go over our suggested guidelines.

Green14 must-haves

Making greener changes can seem a little overwhelming and inconvenient at first but just remember that we’ll be taking each “department of your life” in doable day-to-day chunks. For the Green14 challenge, we’ll be sharing resources every day via email to keep you on track. Here are the tools you’ll need to get started:

Lifestyle and household eco essentials

• Reusable tote bags
• Empty reusable containers for package-free shopping
• Washable and reusable cloth face masks
• Empty spray bottle for DIY household cleaner

Kitchen eco essentials

• Beeswax wraps
• Parchment paper
• Glass containers
• Cloth towels (not disposable paper towels)
• Reusable coffee and water canteens
• Stainless steel or glass straw
• Reusable produce bags
• Ingredients for our meal plans and/or standalone recipes

Optional, but recommended

• Safety razor
• Washable 100% cotton rounds for makeup removal
• Small glass containers for shampoo, conditioner, skincare products
• Electric or bamboo toothbrush
• Toothpaste tablets
• Corn floss or wax floss
• Konjac sponge or natural sponge instead of loofah
• Seeds for herbs, containers, potting soil
• A list of local thrift stores in your area

Challenge rules and guidelines

Here are the guidelines to adhere to as closely as possible over the next 14 days. It may look a little intimidating at first but give them a read and you’ll see they’re easier to implement than it might appear at first glance. You’ve got this!

• No plastic bags — use tote bags, produce bags or cardboard boxes for shopping
• No saran wrap — substitute with beeswax or silicone bags
• No plastic straws, cutlery, styrofoam takeout or throwaway coffee cups
• Bring your own zero-waste items (metal straws, metal/bamboo cutlery, metal/bamboo lunchboxes, reusable drinking canteens) wherever you go
• Do not buy or accept anything with plastic packaging
• Use seasonal produce only — no out-of-season produce
• Opt to eat plants: Follow our plant-powered meal plans, try a new plant-based recipe, or simply reduce your consumption of animal products during the challenge
• No harsh cleaning chemicals
• No shopping for anything new during the 2-week challenge (secondhand or thrift is fine)
• Refresh your knowledge on trash, recycling and compost

Kick off the Green14 challenge right now

Now that you’re prepped and ready, head on over to the challenge page and get excited to up your eco game. Remember, throughout the challenge, you’ll get a new daily email with key tips and information on how to make an eco improvement – it’s an easy way to work towards becoming a greener you! 

Of course, if you want to walk through the challenge yourself, you can start browsing the content, meal plans and recipes right now. You can build new eco habits at your own pace. It’s also a great time to choose a meal plan, gather your grocery list and prep your meals in advance.