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Hot Tips For A Green Kitchen
How and what you cook can play a huge part in your impact on the planet. With the majority of a household's energy spent in household appliances such as the fridge, dishwasher, oven, and microwave, a lot of energy can also be saved in the kitchen. In addition, much of a household's consumption of foods and other products is consumed in the kitchen. If you're looking for a great place to make green changes in your life, the kitchen is a fabulous place to start.
Healthy And Green Ingredients. Organic foods are as good for your body as they are for the planet. Organic ingredients are produced without harmful pesticides and chemicals in a method that makes a minimal impact on the planet. When possible, choose organic foods over non-organic foods. In addition, look for ingredients that have been made as close to your home as possible. If you're choosing between seafood that was caught off the Florida coast or off of Thailand's coast, it's best to opt for Florida's fresh catch. The reason is that the total impact of your food on the environment includes the impact of shipping the food from its source to your grocery store or marketplace. The impact on the environment is significantly reduced when the food originates closer to home.
When you need to purchase foods produced farther from home, look for foods that are Fair Trade Certified, which means the products are grown in an environmentally sound method.
Also pay attention to the packaging your items come in. In the produce department, when feasible avoid using plastic bags to bag your items. For other items that are not feasible to purchase without a bag, such as fresh green beans or fresh mushrooms, save the plastic bags and bring them back to the store to re-use on your next trip.
For other items such as milk, eggs, and so on, purchase products in packaging that can be recycled, such as glass and plastic, over items that cannot be recycled, such as styrofoam. Then make sure the recyclable packaging makes its way to the recycling bin.
Growing Your Own Ingredients. The ideal place to get fresh produce is from your own garden. The carbon footprint on produce grown in a home-grown is nominal. Even if space at your home is limited, you can still grow a number of ingredients in flower pots and windowsill boxes. Think of the produce you purchase most of over the course of a year that will thrive in your environment, and plan your home garden accordingly.
Cooking Green. How you cook is as important as what to cook. As with other green measures, the goal in the kitchen is to try to reduce waste. If you have leftover foods, save them for another meal or feed them to a pet if feasible. Other leftover waste can be added to a compost pile that you can use for organic fertilizer in a home garden. Any leftover water, such as when you drain water from pasta, can be poured on plants. This leftover water is filled with nutrients that your plants will love.
When you are baking, try to minimize the electricity or gas you use. When possible use a smaller toaster oven over a conventional oven for small dishes. When you are baking multiple items in the same day, take advantage of an already heated oven to bake all of your items either at the same time or back to back.
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