Deepening our connections with other people and nature through food

Jan 23

What do we need to know about food waste, and what can we do as individuals to help our communities waste less food? Even though sometimes we may feel, as individuals, like just one person in this massive world, why is our sheer existence so important in helping to shape trends and society?

Sharing his wisdom here is Max La Manna. You'll hear about how we can inspire those around us to take positive actions for our planet; how we can create a less wasteful food industry; what to know about plant-based foods that can help us feel more connected to our earth; and more. Let's dive in!

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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights

[2:27] Max on what inspired his passion for nature.

[5:36] Kaméa: "How do you think your focuses as a zero-waste vegan chef has either limited opportunities for you or opened new doors?"

[6:45] What inspired Max to become a pioneer as a chef focused on not wasting any food, tackling plastic waste from the food industry, and making plant-based recipes.

[8:53] Max: "I think that's where a lot of creativity lives – in that space of the unknown and in that space of fear."

[9:25] Max's advice on getting over the roadblock of fearing the unknown or fearing what other people think.

[12:54] Max: "We're all affected by our surroundings... Sometimes it's our actions that do all the talking."

[13:20] What Max has done to be able to connect deeply with his audience to inspire positive change.

[15:00] What Max thinks we need to know about food waste.

[17:46] Max: "We have to be one step ahead; we have to make our own choices versus us feeling affected by somebody else."

[18:20] Kaméa: "People don't like to be told what to do."

[19:47] Max: "We're seeing people in every market today – chefs, musicians, actors, artists, athletes – getting creative in the ways they express themselves. We need to get creative in expressing things that matter most."

[20:05] Kaméa: "We've become very disconnected as a society from nature, especially as it has to with food... How can we inspire a deeper connection between humans and nature through food?"

[21:00] Max on learning the fact that plants are able to communicate with one another.

[22:40] At a time when our global meat consumption is still on the rise, what we can do to inspire people to try more plant-based protein and eat less meat.

[23:40] Max: "There are facts that show that eating more plants has a major health imprint."

[25:30] Max on what we need most to accelerate towards a more sustainable future.

References

The Hidden Life of Trees, a book which sheds light on how trees communicate

Our Guest

Max La Manna is a zero-waste vegan chef who never wastes food and resourcefully creates delicious meals while being an avid voice for sustainability and environmental conservation around the world. His work and advocacy toward eliminating food waste, reducing our plastic waste consumption, and his low-impact conscious daily lifestyle has been featured in NowThis, BuzzFeed, Mashable, and more, and he truly believes his passion for eliminating food waste and protecting our planet can encourage and inspire others to similarly help improve the quality of life for all.