We've talked a bit about food waste before in our very popular post Foodie's Guide to Saving the Planet, but I want to add more to the conversation because food, single-handedly, is one of the easiest ways we can have one of the biggest impacts on the planet as individuals.
From how we purchase, to what we buy, to what we eat, and how we dispose of that food.
We've dubbed this month SUSTAINABLE SUPPER because the whole goal is to get you eating a little bit more sustainably.
compost:
Compost is a perfect system. If you eat an apple, you can compost the core. The core will break down and turn into a nutrient-rich soil that can be used to grow more apples.
*SINGS VERY LOUDLY* "It's the circle of LIIIIIIIIIFFE!" and you get to play a VERY important part.
Namely, not throwing your food scraps in the landfill. There's a common misconception that food breaks down in a landfill... but it doesn't.
It lives in this limbo state where it haunts the earth releasing *DUN DUN DUN* METHANE *SCREAM*
I really want to do a short spooky film about this, but I promise I will make the rest of the post more readable. So, let's talk about why composting is so important.
Organic matter in landfills account for 16% of all methane emissions in the US, and methane is 30% more powerful than CO2.
Composting is one of the awesome tools we have that could help reverse global warming because when we compost and return that goodness to the soil it improves the quality of the ground.
Did you know that dirt absorbs carbon? Yep, we could actually prevent methane from being released AND draw carbon down out of the atmosphere in one fell swoop.
Interested in composting? Check out our full post here.
We would love for you to set up a compost situation at your house and then share it with friends and family on social and in person. LONG LIVE THE COMPOST REVOLUTION!
plant-based:
Another one of the easiest ways to reduce the carbon footprint on your plate is to opt for more plant-based foods. I don't tell anyone to go vegan because with allergies, intolerances, recovering from ed's, etc. I think it's best to let people decide which diet is best for them.
However, most of us can cut back significantly on the number of animal products we consume. The average American eats 3/4lb of meat a day! That's crazy and not very good for us.
Cutting back is great for our health and the health of the planet.
But, plant-based eating might seem hard, confusing, expensive or not tasty and I can promise you it's NONE of those things. We've even started our own little cooking show called Cookin' and Compostin' just to show you how easy it can be!
cookin' with scraps:
A lot of people tend to overbuy food, but even if you've gotten the hang of only buying what you need, are you actually eating everything that's edible?
Ok, that sentence was a little convoluted, but basically, I want to make sure you're eating the plant, the whole plant, and nothing but the plant so help you god.
There are so many great food waste-busting recipes to help you use ever stalk and stem which will also stretch that grocery budget!
For instance, beet stems make a great chard substitute and they're free when buying beets!
Carrot tops make a great dipping sauce. Blend them up like you would to make pesto.
Orange and lemon peels can be candied for a tasty treat or soaked in vinegar to make a great homemade cleaner.
I would love to see how you're making using food scraps in your kitchen to prevent waste. Please tag us on Instagram stories. :)
If you're looking for food scrap inspo my friend Joel over from the TV show SCRAPS talks about this all day, every day!
