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10 Easy Tips for Going Green in the Kitchen
1. Ditch the bottles
Bottled water is pricey and uses a lot of fuel to transport, as well as to make and store the bottles. Use what comes out of your tap instead. Get a good filter to boost its purity. You can filter your water for drinking and cooking.
2. Compost leftovers
Composting leftovers will ease the burden on the landfill, give you great soil, and keep your kitchen waste basket from smelling.
3. Dispose of disposables
Instead of relying on single-use containers, get real dishes, and wash them. The resources saved will really add up!
4. Bring your own bags
Since plastic and paper bags take resources to produce and distribute and end up as litter, transport groceries in reusable tote bags or canvas produce sacks.
5. Use your appliances wisely
Unplug unused devices and pick Energy Star when it’s time to replace. Fill empty spaces in your refrigerator or freezer with crumpled newspapers or full of water bottles. It improves cooling and saves electricity and money.
6. Cook!
Preparing foods from scratch is more time consuming but often less costly than purchasing ready-made meals. Ready-made meals are only environmentally friendly if they are not frozen or over-packaged. Plan meals ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling to pick up something convenient, which is likely to be less healthy and wrapped in more packaging. You can also save electricity and/or gas by cooking for a short time. Outdoor grills take less energy than your stove and keep the heat out of the house, reducing costly strain on your AC. You can also conserve water by using one pot.
7. Clean greener
Turn off the tap while scrubbing dishes and only run a full dishwasher. Stock the pantry with the best natural cleaners: baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, and club soda.
8. Use cast iron pots and pans instead of nonstick
Scour cast-iron pans with salt to preserve seasoning. In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to an unknown number
of human illnesses.
9. Go easy on processed, canned, or fast foods and never microwave plastic to avoid chemicals leaching into food
The USDA warns against microwaving in single-use containers not intended for that purpose, such as take-out platters and margarine tubs, which may warp or melt, giving possibly harmful chemicals in plastic a chance to taint food. Those containers with "microwave-safe" labels shouldn't melt, but the label is no guarantee that small amounts of chemicals won't migrate during heating or storage.
10. Eat organic
Cut out the additives and chemicals. Check the numbered stickers on fruits and vegetables. If they start with the #9, your produce is organic, meaning it is grown pesticide- free.
http://www.thedailygreen.com
http://www.ewg.org
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://playgreen.typepad.com
This material was funded partially by USDA’s Food Stamp Program. The Food Stamp Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet.
Made Available By: Layne A. Langley
Extension Agent- FNP & FCS
West Baton Rouge Parish
225/336-2416
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| Last Updated: 2/19/2009 8:16:38 AM |
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