Are you cooking in an eco conscious kitchen? Here are a few tips to make sure your next meal time is environmentally friendly!
Shop Local And Low WasteÂ
Buy local produce from your towns farmers market and look for local produce at grocery stores and super markets. Take advantage of Ontario’s seasonal produce, and try to plan recipes based on whats in season. Click here for the Ontario food guide, that tells you what is in season.Â
When grocery shopping, remember to bring reusable bags with you! Avoid products with excessive packaging, instead, opt for whole, unpackaged produce and food in recyclable containers. If you really want to go the extra mile, click here to find out how you can go completely waste free.
Cook With Energy Star
Use Energy Star efficient appliances. Fridges, ovens and dishwashers take up a large percentage of energy consumed in the home. Make sure you’re saving energy and money by cooking on up to date, Energy Star certified products.
Pro tip: Put food in the oven while its preheating, and turn off the oven about 10 minutes early, the residual heat will keep your meal roasting.
Eat Waste Free
Avoid using disposables when eating, for example; napkins, disposable plates and cutlery, straws and plastic water bottles. This all goes straight to the landfill, or uses excessive energy and water to produce and get to your table.Â
Throw all food scraps into the green bin. This cuts household waste by up to 50%! Check out this list to see what can and can’t go in your green bin.
Clean Green
Ditch the paper towels when cleaning up. Instead, use rags and washable j-cloths. If your dishwasher can handle it, skip pre rinsing your dishes. Many new dishwashers are powerful enough to get any build up off your dish ware. Make sure your dishwasher is as full as possible before setting it off, use eco mode and skip the fan dry feature at the end.Â