One of the best places in the home to become eco-friendly is in the kitchen. The benefit of becoming eco-friendly not only reduces your carbon footprint and reduces your impact on the environment, it can end up saving a substantial amount of money. This involves becoming a pro-active, informed consumer. With each of the following points you incorporate into your lifestyle, you will eating healthier while saving money. You don't need to incorporate all of them at the same time. Gradually work these tips into your lifestyle as the opportunity arises. The more you use, the greater the savings.
- use reusable shopping bags
- choose foods with minimal packaging
- choose non-disposable water bottles and hot beverage mugs
- avoid anything disposable (eg. paper plates, paper towels, disposable cutlery, food wraps)
- shop at eco-friendly places (eg. roadside stands, health food stores, farmer's markets, orchards)
- buy local and/or local organic produce
- eat at least one meatless meal weekly
- eat produce raw
- eat in season produce
- preserve your produce (eg. home canning, freezing, drying)
- grow you own
- join a local food co-op
- buy locally grown organic meat (eg. no anti-biotics, no growth hormones, free range, grass fed)
- check seafood labels for sustainable aquaculture practices (eg. Marine Stewardship Council certification)
- avoid CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) meats
- check seafood labels for source of origin
- avoid endangered fish or those posing high contamination risks (eg. Chilean seabass, Atlantic cod, imported king crab, orange roughy, farmed salmon, canned and Bluefin tuna)
- avoid farmed fish
- choose organic, hormone-free, local dairy
- avoid commercially prepared convenience foods (anything in a box, jar, bottle or can)
- choose raw, non-pasteurized milk if possible
- compost food scraps except fat, dairy and bones
- eat you leftovers
- double your recipes - one to eat now, one to store for a later meal
- cook one or more local meals per week
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