5 More Tips For Going Green

Hi there! I hope you all are doing well! We’re back this week with 5 more tips for going green!

Cook from scratch. We all know that cooking at home saves a hell of a lot of cash, but it also uses fewer resources than dining out or by buying pre-made food. Although what you eat is usually more important than how it’s cooked, eating food that’s been processed in distant industrial kitchens, wrapped up in plastic and cardboard packaging, and trucked to your local supermarket eats up a lot of energy. Besides, no meal gets appreciated as much as one you’ve made yourself, so get cooking!
Use a pressure cooker. This is a terrific way to save time, money, and energy all at the same time. Pressure cookers can take up to 70 percent less time (and less energy) to cook a meal, and they’re more versatile than one might think: They can make chili, pot roast, soup, whole chickens, corn bread—and even desserts! Need some ideas to get started? Check out this cookbook and go even greener by getting the Kindle edition!
Cook with residual heat. Turning off the oven five minutes before the meal is ready will allow the food to continue cooking while also saving some energy. It’s even easier with pasta: Once the pot’s been boiling for five minutes, cover the pot, switch off the stove, and let it sit for five more minutes. This will free up the stovetop and the pasta will be cooked perfectly al dente in less than 10 minutes.
Eat less meat. Meat isn’t cheap, and it’s not great for the environment, either. Seventy percent of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed to raise cows, and meat production results in more carbon emissions than any other protein. We’re not telling you to go completely vegan (unless that’s your bag), but learning to cook a few choice vegetarian meals will save money, add variety to your palate, and give the planet a helping hand.
Grow your own food. It’s nowhere near as complicated or time-consuming as it sounds, and it’ll eliminate the Sasquatch-sized carbon footprint of all those refrigerated trucks and planes importing berries from South America. Cherry tomatoes, salad greens, and green beans are the best foods to grow if saving money is the goal. For those of us who don’t have a garden, simply growing herbs on a windowsill can save hundreds in the long run.