By katherine wiggins
How to be Environmentally Friendly While Cooking What you eat has an impact on the environment, but you don't have to drastically change your eating habits in order to be more eco-riendly. There are many simple changes you can make with your everyday meals and grocery shopping that make a huge difference. Eating Foods In-Season One thing you can do is to eat vegetables and fruits that are in season. In season food are plants that naturally grow and ripen during a certain season, depending on where you live and where your food is sourced. For example, in San Diego, in the summer, you can eat berries and in the spring you can eat lima beans. There are tons of benefits of eating in season foods. Believe it or not, foods grown in season require less pesticides and reduce your carbon footprint. Not to mention, you consume a higher intake of nutrients because the food is naturally ripened instead of being genetically modified. Overall, eating foods in season makes a positive impact on the earth and it is healthier for you. Here is a link to a list of what foods are in season in San Diego. Know Where Your Food Comes From Do you know where your food comes from? An article written in February 2019 by Forbes Magazine reveals that Americans are becoming more and more demanding when it comes to having clean ingredients and “transparency” in the sourcing of their food. You should too. Be aware of what you are putting into your body and how it is processed. This helps you and helps the environment. Pay attention to food labels and company labels. Do your research into different food industries. If you don’t trust out-sourced resources there are plenty of local farms and businesses that are a part of CSA (community supported agriculture), which provide safe, clean and healthy ingredients. To learn more about CSA in San Diego click the link. Repurpose leftovers There are tons of leftovers wasted every year. To reduce your waste look up ideas on how to repurpose your leftover food from previous meals. For instance, do you have leftover rice from the day before? Here is a recipe from allrecipes for making fried rice using day-old rice. Don't be afraid to try new things or experiment with food. Get creative. My family always loves to keep our noodles separate from our sauce when making different types of pasta so that we can make all kinds of foods later on, like pasta salad or a casserole. Substitution To save yourself from having to buy exact ingredients for each of these recipes, there are tons of substitutions that you can use instead. For example, if you need almond flour but you only have regular flour or you only have almond milk and the recipe asks for 2% milk, it’s okay to use what you already have at home. Speaking from personal experience, I am lactose intolerant (like many people are) and I just use lactose-free milk with all of the cooking I do and my food doesn’t taste any different. With cooking there is usually an alternative that can serve the same purpose without costing you. If you have a dietary need or choose to follow a specific lifestyle, there are many creative recipes out there that will replicate you the foods that you know and love.
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About the Cooking PageAll blog posts focus on engaging topics regarding cooking sustainably. The AuthorsEach blog post were written by different students at High Tech Media Arts. Click below to learn more about them. Archives |