If anyone ever wonders why you’re going green, just point them to The World Counts website so they can see for themselves how fast the pollution and relentless exploitation of natural resources is killing the planet. The Earth is well on the road of total depletion and it already cannot support the population of nearly 7.6 billion. Going green today is the least you can do to help preserve our home, and doing this in every aspect of your life won’t be easy. This guide to green cooking will help you learn how to not only make your meals eco-friendly, but also reduce the amount of waste and cut down the carbon footprint of the household.
Making your kitchen, outdoor or indoor, eco-friendly will require some updates of equipment, especially water fixtures. You will also need to embrace new cooking methods and learn quite a few new recipes. If possible, you should have a garden of your own as well. At the least, consider using a DIY hydroponics kit that will enable you to grow a few organic vegetables or herbs even in a small home.
However, all those efforts will be definitely worth it as this will not only reduce your energy and water bills over time. Green cooking is also much healthier for you and helps with weight management.
You also should remember that you can’t make your cooking 100% green as it will require some energy. That’s why you should cook efficiently, for example, using cast iron pots with a tight lid so you can switch the oven/stove off early and have the food complete cooking due to the absorbed heat.
Guide to Green Cooking and Overall Kitchen Use
Eat fresh whenever possible
Did you know that eating fresh ‘whole’ foods is not only better for the planet but for your health and weight as well? Not cooking means you aren’t adding any extra fats (if frying) and aren’t using energy for the actual cooking.
In this age of smoothies and liquid diets you also should know that eating solid foods is one of the most effective ways if you want to learn how to control your appetite. Solid foods are just more filling, so the next time you want to make a green smoothie with avocado, spinach, and cucumber, better use the ingredients for a salad, seasoned with a bit of lemon juice and cold-pressed oil.
As to fresh juices, use manual juicers when you can and an Energy Star electric one when working with ‘tough’ ingredients. Manually squeezed juices will have more pulp, which is great as it contains lots of fiber and many nutrients.
Most importantly, do your best to eat a fresh snack instead of processed foods from the store. A bag of chips is not only bad for your arteries and waistline but also makes your small contribution to the food industry, which is far from being green.
Enjoy BBQs more often
Any guide to green cooking will tell you that grilling foods on an open fire is the most eco-friendly way. But only if you use the right kind of grill. The one using charcoal has a huge and nasty carbon footprint due to the chemicals in coals. A natural gas grill is a greener alternative with a much smaller footprint, but it runs on a non-renewable energy source.
An electric grill can be fantastic in terms of ‘greenness’ but only if you power it through solar, wind, or other green energy source. If you just plug it into the grid, the negative impact on the planet will be the worst of all grill types.
An eco-friendly option is a pellet grill that you can fuel with pellets made from wood waste. They don’t contain the toxic chemicals, like charcoal and don’t contribute to the destruction of trees. But don’t forget that you should forgo the lighter fluid when going green with cooking.
What are doing this summer to make your cooking green?
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Thanks Marla for all the info on green cooking. Eating a whole food plant-based diet is an important way people can protect their health, be kind to animals, and conserve the planet as well.
HI Nancy,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I believe it is very important that we eat lots of vegetables and be kind to animals, but I do also believe that meat can be an important part of your diet as long as they are treated humanely raised organically and it is local meat and in moderation. People need to find what works for their bodies as we are unique. Have a healthy, happy & blessed day!
Green is life and it’s fullfilling , love the optiions
Hi Julia,
I fully agree – Green is fulling. Glad you found my options helpful. Have a healthy, happy & blessed day!
Really enjoyed checking out The World Counts website. Scary to see this info! Thanks for another great article.
HI Nancy,
Glad you liked the link and found it interesting and informative. Thanks for stopping by, commenting and being such a loyal follower. Have a healthy, happy & blessed.