How to be a Green Kitchenista: 8 Easy Steps

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Creating my dream green kitchen would probably cost more than my yearly salary. What’s more, I’m still renting and doubt my landlord (or lady) would consider it to be an investment. Also, is it possible to go completely green, and is it worth the time and money I would spend if I were to have my own comfortable house?

There are easier ways to create a green kitchen suited to any domestic god or goddess. Most of these are easy to add to one’s schedule, and some do not need much will-power at all.

Add these changes gradually to become used to this new lifestyle.

Shop daily.

Resist doing a big, monthly shop. Shopping on a daily or even weekly basis may mean slight changes, but it can be very effective: you’ll waste less food. And what a waste there is! UK consumers throw away one third of produce, which means 6.7 million tonnes of food worth £9 billion hits the landfills. Buy two or three loose potatoes or broccoli heads and try to avoid items in plastic containers. And what about the two-for-one special that you can’t resist? Think about it: will you really use both?

Match your pots to the correct cooking surface

This is one trick my mom has taught me, but only because it makes so much sense. Cooking with the correct size pot makes a big difference: food cooks faster and you use less heat and time. If a cooking surface is exposed, it will radiate the heat into the air, not inside the pot or pan. Another good trick is to cook with lids on. This seals the heat inside and food cooks faster.

Buy Local

While I have read an article that dismisses going local as a mere fad, this is a worthy goal. Do this if there are fresh local produce available, but make sure it will not be too expensive.

Change the lighting

This has to be the easiest way to save energy in the kitchen. And why not do the same to the rest of your house or apartment? Changing to CFLs, which should fit into a standard light socket, use less energy and create less heat. It’s also lighter on your wallet. Your other option is natural lighting. One way to do this is to use a tubular skylight, which is not too expensive and it can bring in a great amount of light.

Make a compost heap

This might take a bit of planning to work for some people, but it can certainly be worth the effort. Home composting has become more popular and there are many techniques being used by composters. Some may worry that a compost heap gives off nasty odours. If the heap is well-maintained, it will not have a bad smell. If you live in a block of flats, why not get everyone there involved?

Making one big meal

Whether it is a big curry, spaghetti bolognaise, five loaves of bread or a massive macaroni cheese, it will not only work out less expensive, but it will also save you much time.

Kitchen Towels no more

Yes, they’re convenient, but do you need them that much? I find I use up one roll a week. It’s a drain to my budget, and just another item that clogs up landfills. Use dishcloths instead of kitchen towels, and keep them clean.

Break one rule

No-one wants to follow rules all the time. So feel free to break one of these rules when the alternative is just too costly, time-consuming or much of an inconvenience.

 

 

Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 2:55 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.