Did you know the food choices you make and the way you shop for, prepare, and serve food can negatively impact the environment? Well, that is absolutely true—and it is becoming increasingly important that we all help our environment in every way we can. Here are some great “eating green” tips to help you get started.
Go Vegetarian at least once a week. And this is NOT because we are vegetarians {we do love our Texas BBQ}, but because the cost to the environment is far greater than the cost to produce vegetarian protein foods such as vegetables, beans, soybeans, legumes, etc.
Make a shopping list. Take inventory of everything you need for preparing healthy meals before you head to the grocery store, farmers market or Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s. This will prevent multiple trips back and forth to the store. You’ll save on fuel, help reduce gasoline emissions, and save wear and tear on your car.
Grab your re-usable bags. Neither paper nor plastic bags are a good choice for the environment. It takes gallons of crude oil to make plastic bags, and many trees are sacrificed to make paper bags. Invest in reusable canvas shopping bags—and be sure that you bring them with you! You can also get fruit and veggie bags that are reusable – we love them!
Au Revour Plastic Bottles. Americans buy billions of plastic water bottles every year, and every year tons of these empty bottles get thrown in the trash. Break the habit—use a neoprene bottle instead and consider a water-filtering system for use at home.
Buy local and organic – hit up those local farmers markets. Buying locally grown foods cuts down on the environmental costs associated with transporting produce to your community from great distances. In the summer months, farmer’s markets are the ideal place to buy local produce, but certain grocery store chains actually feature local produce! Try to choose organic produce whenever possible as this is an excellent way to reduce exposure to pesticides and help reduce the runoff and pollutants that may contaminate our water, soil, and air. We are huge fans of farmers markets and are committed to buying organic whenever possible {especially the dirty dozen}.
Be an efficient kitchen ninja. Save energy and speed up cooking times by covering pots. When it’s time to clean up, make sure the dishwasher is “full” before you run it. If you have a small number of dirty dishes, think about doing them the old-fashioned “by hand” way, without constantly running the water {meaning fill up the sink}, and be sure to use a biodegradable dish detergent.
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