Cooking green is a lot easier than you might think. The idea is to simply learn how to save energy in the kitchen and use foods and cooking practices that are better for both your wallet and the planet. Luckily, there are dozens of ways to accomplish the goals of cooking healthier, cooking cheaper and cooking in an eco-friendly way.
The Food You Choose:
It all starts with the food you choose to cook or eat. To begin with, you can be very eco-friendly by simply eating more foods that don’t require you to cook at all. Fruits, vegetables, salads and sandwiches are all fairly healthy, easy to prepare and take no cooking time or energy. So, they are great foods, if you want to stay healthy, save money and protect the planet.
If you are planning to cook, however, you still should be careful about what foods you choose to cook. For example, you can buy in bulk to reduce packaging and cut costs. If you have a freezer, that’s ideal for buying meats in bulk.
You can also choose foods to buy that can be cooked together. For example, you can plan your shopping list ahead and buy ingredients for a soup, stew or stir fry. Those sorts of dishes only require using one pot or pan, which minimizes your cooking times and energy expenditures.
The Pots You Choose:
The pots you choose are also important. You need to have the right type of pot for the stove top and for the job at hand. Here are some tips:
• Always use pots and pans that are the same diameter as your burners.
• Always use pots and pans that are flat on the bottom for the best contact with the burners.
• Replace any pots that have warped over time.
• Always use pots that are the right size for the amount of food you are cooking. A pot that is too large will just mean that it takes more time and energy to heat the pot up.
Simple Stove Top And Oven Suggestions:
A lot of your cooking is likely to be done on the stove top or in the oven. That’s fine, but you can maximize efficiency by doing a few simple things. For starters, invest in an induction stove top. Induction uses magnetic energy to transfer heat right from the stove top to the pot. That way, you don’t heat the room up as much and all of the heat and energy get used efficiently.
As for the oven, the best thing to do is learn to let it work. A lot of energy is lost when you open the oven door to check on the food. So, get some good recipes and learn to trust them. If you absolutely have to check on the food, make sure that your oven has a clean glass door and a built in light.
Finally, keep in mind that the oven isn’t the only cooking appliance in your kitchen. You can use a microwave or even a toaster oven for the smaller jobs. Both microwaves and toaster ovens heat up quickly, can cook a lot of food and can be cleaned with a few wipes of a paper towel or cloth.