Cooking may be one of few activities where being "sustainable" drifts nowhere near the mind. But did you know that cooking in 2022 is one of the easiest ways to contribute to food waste, water pollution, and much more? In this article we will be explaining the ways in which you can change your cooking lifestyle and in return, help change the negative impacts we put onto the earth.
PLEASE KEEP READING. :)
1. Buy from your local farmers.
Let's start with the obvious; local food tastes better. These foods are picked at their peak, are handcrafted, as well as made in quality batches. Not only does it taste better, it is overall better for you. There are usually far and few genetic modifiers used on the crops, which ensures that you will not be receiving any chemical residue. Since it is local that means no planes, trucks, or ships are used in the process, which also ensures that you are receiving the most nutrients possible from the food --- as it doesn't have any time to lose quality.
Local food is safe as farmers are nearly always ready to take responsibility where responsibility is due. Since you are buying from these farmers, you are supporting their own families. It helps in building communities and community ties. As you buy from others, you begin to acknowledge their existence in a way you would not have had before. You make buying from them a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly occurrence. You create friendships and alliances with those closest to you. Living in harmony with one another is an enhancer of overall vitality, wellbeing, and life.
2. Finding creative uses for leftovers.
Wasting food is no doubt costing you and the planet a lot. This can be changed with the simple motto of "loving your leftovers". Turn your excess mashed potatoes into potato bread or gnocchi. Turn that leftover chicken or steak into a nice open-faced sandwich. Leftover fish can be used to make fish cakes. All you need to do is be a little bit creative! It will save you some money as well as saving the earth from from landfill buildup.
3. Learn to use aluminum foil wisely.
There is a lot of talk about aluminum foil and how it is toxic for our health. This can be disputed for however long, but one thing about this will not change --- aluminum foil is not good for the environment. The actual mining of aluminum (bauxite) and the process of creating the single-use material, has quite the negative impact on the planet. The process uses fossil fuels, pollutes water, and creates greenhouse gases while processing the mineral takes a lot of energy.
In that sense, since aluminum foil lasts 500 years before decomposing, it is not such a good idea to pollute landfills with single-use products. So aluminum should be considered the same as plastic wraps or plastic bottles.
4. Use reusable food wraps instead of plastic wrap.
Just like cutting down on aluminum foil, the use of reusable food wraps may need to be an essential part of a changing eco-friendly cooking experience. Beeswax wraps and silicon baggies can be very good alternatives to the usual methods of meal preservers. As well, try using glass Tupperware instead of plastic. A pro to this is that the material will not absorb dish soap residue, food smells, or natural dyes such as turmeric.
5. Ditch the paper towels.
Paper towel usage is one of those things that are easily overlooked. Paper towels always seem like an easy alternative to mopping up spilled water or quickly microwaving a few pizza rolls (we've all been there). However, paper towels are made from wood pulp and the chemicals used to make them soft, colorful, and even white, are very toxic to the environment. Swapping them out for a few cloth towels, can replace the amount of paper towels you use a hundred times over. Less waste = more smiles :)
6. Compost food scraps.
Composting can be as simple as burying food scraps in the dirt and letting them decompose. Nowadays they make composting tumblers which can be great for someone with raised beds or smaller gardens.
Composting can help reduce the amount of "garbage" that goes to the dump. The act of composting helps save water by creating a healthy soil environment that holds moisture (reducing water runoff). It also benefits the environment by conserving landfill space - waste management.
7. Chop food into smaller pieces.
This one is simple. Chopping food into smaller pieces helps with cooking time and ensures the food is done quicker, therefore, lessening the amount of gas or electricity used to heat the food.
8. Don't be afraid to freeze your food.
Freezing food can ensure you're lessening your food waste. Each year one-third of all food produced is wasted. If you have a container of strawberries you know you aren't going to eat before they go bad, put them into a freezer safe glass or silicon container and save them for when you know you can use them. Even try putting them in a smoothie!
9. Clean with toxic-free products.
One of the worst parts about cooking is cleaning up afterwards. It's sad to think that even that does damage. Switching out normal cleaners with ones that are "eco-friendly" and "sustainable" can change a lot. One very common toxic-free cleaner is simply baking soda mixed with lemon and vinegar - it really can clean anything!
10. Keep your fridge door closed as much as possible.
They make refrigerators now with clear doors for the reason of energy efficiency. However, if you aren't in the market for such a thing, it can be just as efficient to open the refrigerator door, take a picture, close it again, and decide what you want from the inside.
It really is the small things that make a difference.
11. Cook with a larger food portion.
As seen in SWAP 2, having leftovers is not a bad thing. In reality, sometimes it's the best thing you can do. Making a larger batch of food can cut out the time it takes to make three-separate meals on three-separate occasions. Not only will this help with energy/gas efficiency, it can save you time by prepping something for the following days and helping you to avoid the craving and ease of fast food.
12. Switch to eco-friendly cookware.
Spoons, ladels, salad tossers, and so on have become more plastic than anything else. If you were to switch out these products for ones that are bamboo or simply wooden, they may last longer than the plastic, avoid being stained and discarded, as well as avoiding their inability to decompose in landfills. Wood for the win!!
13. Cook with natural gas instead of electric.
The majority of energy produced is transferred directly to your food. It takes about three times the energy to produce and deliver electricity to your stove; whereas a gas stove will use half the amount of energy to operate while delivering the same results. Besides, it's what the pro-chefs out there use ;)
And as always, do what you are able to. Don't feel guilty for not being able to accomplish one thing or the other. As long as we're all putting in the effort, all acknowledging the impacts we are making, and all striving for a better world, there is nothing more we can ask for.
Take care of one another.
<3 VIRON
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