7 tips to be more green in the kitchen

On April 22, it's Earth Day! When we talk about environmental concerns, we do not always dare to raise the question of food management. In order to become more and more ecological, we have great empowerment to do, particularly in our kitchens.

Here are 7 tips to be more green in the kitchen.

1. Avoid food waste to be more green in the kitchen

Canadians are food waste champions. Each year, it is the equivalent of $ 27 billion in food that is thrown into Canadian houses. This represents $ 771 per family. Indeed, 47% of food waste is carried out in our households.⁷

Solution : Plan a weekly menu to develop a grocery list that targets the necessary ingredients. Thus, it is possible to considerably reduce food waste by maximizing the yield of the purchased food. Freeze your vegetables that lack freshness or their retail to make homemade vegetable broth. Consult our recipe here!

2. Buy in bulk to be more green in the kitchen

Buying in bulk is an effective way to combat food waste. Nowadays, food over -expansion is a major problem that affects our waste system and ecosystems. "Besides, 70 % of the plastic in our landfill sites come from packaging in the food sector".¹

Solutions: Carry with you reusable containers. Nuts, legumes, flours, pasta, nut butter and spices are all products accessible in bulk. Some dairy products cooperatives sell their products in consignable glass packaging.

3. Make homemade snacks to be more green in the kitchen

The processed snacks are to point the finger at over -stringed food. Their individual packaging is very often made up of mixed materials, which makes recycling impossible.

In addition to engorging landfill sites, these packaging products are a significant part of the production cost. Thus, it goes without saying that the consumer must pay the cost of packaging, which increases the price of food.

Solution : In order to remedy the situation, homemade snacks are to be prioritized. Smoothies, muffins, hiker mixture, cookies are all good replacements.

Visit our favorite homemade snack recipes:

Soft health bar

Hiker cookie

Protein balls without cooking with cookie dough

Energy balls without cooking in hemp, apricots & vanilla

Chocolate crispy squares without cooking

4. Decrease its meat consumption to be more green in the kitchen

Excessive meat consumption has a serious impact on our environment, on several levels.

First, more than 51% of the emission of greenhouse gases comes from animal production.² This represents more than the global production of emissions from the automotive industry.

Deforestation is also a crying issue. In the past 40 years, more than 40% of the Amazon forest and was shot down to allow cattle farming³ And to supply North America with beef and veal.

Meat production requires an amazing amount of water. Comparatively, 550 liters of water are necessary in the production line of a miche bread while 7,000 liters of water will have been used in the production of 100 grams of beef.⁴

Solution : The introduction of Monday without meat is a good starting point. A varied diet offers various protein sources and makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of meat on the menu.

5. Become a member of a network of agriculture supported by the community to be more green in the kitchen

The members of a community of agriculture supported by the community (ASC) receive baskets of fresh, local and seasonal foods. These networks are preparing baskets (often organic), deliver their foods without using food packaging.

Solution : By joining an ASC network, fresh, local and ecological foods become very accessible. Branches of La Boite à Grains There is a pleasure to act as a picking point of organic baskets, year after year. Find out how to adopt a local farmer and regularly get organic baskets!

6. Use reusable bags to be more green in the kitchen

Quebecers took the green turn for more than a decade by using reusable grocery bags.

However, there is a long way to do in order to eliminate bags of fruit and vegetables. These small transparent bags are used profusely by consumers who use these plastic packaging on the pretext that they maintain the freshness of food and facilitate their transport.

Solution : Avoid using plastic fruit and vegetable bags or get reusable versions made of wick or fabric.

7. Opt for reusable straws to be more green in the kitchen

The anti-swees movement is gaining more and more popularity with Canadians. Shock images have been circulating on social media for a few years, appearing in plastic dirty marine animals, especially plastic straws.

Although no statistical statistics is available on the use of disposable straws in Canada, our American neighbors use 500 million straws every day, enough to travel twice the diameter of the earth.^5,6

Solution : It is easy to completely omit disposable straws or replace them with more sustainable options. Stainless steel straws are affordable, easy to use and do not rust.

Véronique Cousineau; Nd, rhn
Verosante.com

Sources

1: Radio-Canada: Zero-Denchet Movement Report. September 2013

2: World Watch Institute

3: World Rainforest Report. John Revington

4: a commission on sustainable development, “water - no nutrition per drop,” 2004

5: Global News. Plastic Straw Ban Taking Hold in the Okanagan. Kelly Hayes

6: Get Green Now. The Environmental Impact of Plastic Straws - Facts, Statistics, and Infographic. Hugh. January 25, 2018

7: The cost of Canada’s Annual Food Waste. Value Chain Management Center - Value Chain International inc.