How To: Go Green in the Kitchen
Whether you’re among the ranks of Chef Boyardee or more seasoned like Emeril, you enjoy being in the kitchen. There’s just something about cooking your own meal that is satisfying, fun and sometimes even relaxing. However, it can be hard to stay true to you green self when spending long hours in the kitchen—or so you thought.
In fact, eating dinner at home is actually green itself! You not only reduce the amount of gasoline used by staying home, but also the amount of disposable packaging and utensils many restaurants utilize.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of 6 Ways to Go Green in the Kitchen:
1. Use energy-efficient appliances. Start by purchasing appliances with the blue Energy Star sticker (seen to the right). Always use water- and energy-saving settings and opt out of things like “heated dry.”
2. Answer “Paper or plastic?” with “Neither.” Most grocery stores offer reusable shopping bags for almost nothing. Not only are these bags better for the environment, they’re also sturdier than paper or plastic—preventing inconvenient spills.
3. Be reusable, not disposable. Well, not literally. But do limit the use of paper plates, plastic silverware and napkins. When it comes to leftovers, use plastic containers instead of baggies to reduce waste.
4. Invest in a water filter. Ditch the plastic water bottles. Nearly 22 billion empty water bottles are thrown away each year! By investing in a water filter you’ll reduce your impact dramatically.
5. Buy local and in season. Visit your local farmers’ market to get fresh produce with very few miles under it—and use every bit of it!
6. Slap a lid on your pots. When boiling something, use a lid to accelerate cooking (thus reducing amount of energy needed). Likewise, use a burner that is the same size as your pot—don’t let heat escape around the sides by using a burner much larger than you pot or pan.
What green kitchen tips do you have?
2 Responses to “How To: Go Green in the Kitchen”