Whether it’s using vegetable parts you normally would throw away, like broccoli and cauliflower stems; reducing the amount of meat in your meals; “whole cooking” a roast chicken carcass and vegetable trimmings into stock; or composting leftover scraps, there are plenty of ways to cook sustainably and in a way that decreases your foodprint.
And when you approach your cooking with sustainability in mind, you’ll also be saving money. Using the whole vegetable from stem to leaf — or the whole chicken from beak to tail — is a great way to reduce food waste, but it also means maximizing your food dollar. By learning to use your food for all it’s worth, you’ll be eating more delicious food, saving money and making decisions that are better for the environment, animals and people.
FAQs
Sustainable cooking is a cooking approach that prioritizes the use of ingredients, techniques, and practices that minimize environmental impact, reduce waste, and support local communities.
How do we make food more sustainable? ›
5 ways to be more sustainable with your diet
- Eat more plant-based meals! Meat production produces more greenhouse gases than plant production. ...
- Shop local for in-season produce to support your community. ...
- Cut Waste! ...
- Try to grow your own produce! ...
- Start the conversation!
By cooking sustainably we can contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals, the world plan for the next 14 years. In order to achieve the SDGs, we need a better understanding of how people's food choices affect local sustainability, health and the environment.
How important is sustainable food? ›
Switching to sustainable farming practices can help reduce air, water, and soil pollution and protect the biodiversity that sustains human life. Combating climate change through sustainable food production decreases extreme weather, often leading to food insecurity.
What is an example of sustainable food? ›
Read on to explore the 15 most sustainable food options and find out how they can make the change.
- Avocados. Avocados are a fruit that grows on avocado trees (Persea americana), native to Central America and Mexico. ...
- Quinoa. ...
- Blueberries. ...
- Oats. ...
- Pulses. ...
- Organic Tomatoes. ...
- Broccoli. ...
- Mushrooms.
The same FAO document describes a sustainable food system as “a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised.
How to make food safe and sustainable? ›
By adopting sustainable agricultural practices, conserving natural resources, reducing food waste, supporting local food systems, reducing meat consumption, and adopting renewable energy, we can create a more sustainable food system that supports the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
How do you know if food is sustainable? ›
Let's look at some ways you can know you're making sustainable choices.
- Look for Certification Labels. ...
- Buy Local Food and Ingredients. ...
- Choose Plant-Based Options. ...
- Avoid Single-Use Packaging. ...
- Learn About Food Production Practices. ...
- Environmental Impact. ...
- Health Benefits. ...
- Supporting Local Communities.
Opt for sustainable materials such as natural stone, reclaimed wood, cork, or concrete whenever possible. According to Manning, eco-friendly countertops, wallpapers, and even insulation products are all available.
Why is cooking at home sustainable? ›
Unlike dining out or buying prepared food — where there are many layers of sourcing, preparation and packaging that you can't control — cooking at home allows you to make sustainable choices at every step of the process, from shopping for the most sustainable ingredients to reducing food waste as you cook.
Some common sustainable practices in food manufacturing include reducing water and energy use, minimizing waste through recycling and composting, using renewable energy sources, sourcing ingredients from local and organic producers, and promoting fair labor practices.
How can we make cooking more sustainable? ›
11 tips for sustainable cooking
- Plan your meals. This way you'll always have a dinner ready, preventing trips to the local shop for convenience foods which are usually highly packaged. ...
- Cook in bulk. ...
- Reuse. ...
- Support local. ...
- Eat seasonally. ...
- Eat together. ...
- Water storage. ...
- Use all you can.
Simply put, sustainable cooking focuses on choosing nutritious, affordable foods and healthy cooking methods while minimizing food waste.
How do you achieve food sustainability? ›
4 changes you can make
- Choose sustainable ingredients. There's no ingredient that is universally sustainable or unsustainable – it all depends on how it is farmed or fished. ...
- Eat more plants than animals. ...
- Eat healthily and minimise processed foods. ...
- Introduce balance and variety.
Unlike dining out or buying prepared food — where there are many layers of sourcing, preparation and packaging that you can't control — cooking at home allows you to make sustainable choices at every step of the process, from shopping for the most sustainable ingredients to reducing food waste as you cook.
What are the sustainable energy for cooking? ›
What are clean cooking fuels? Modern and clean cooking fuels are fuels with very low levels of polluting emissions when burned. Examples include biogas, LPG, electricity, ethanol, natural gas, and solar power (BLEENS).
How sustainable is growing your own food? ›
When you grow your own food, you can harvest only what you need, reducing food waste. Additionally, you can compost food scraps and yard waste to create nutrient-rich soil for your garden, reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills. Commercial agriculture is a major consumer of water resources.
Is home cooking better for the environment? ›
home-cooked meals, with one study finding that the environmental impact of homemade meals was lower because of avoidance of meal manufacturing, reduced refrigeration and a lower amount of waste in the life cycle of the homemade meal (Reference Rivera, Orias and Azapagic9).
