It does not cost much to be eco friendly food consumption in the way you use, store and dispose your food. You can be a part of those rallying towards maintaining a sustainable environment in ways you handle your food.
Tricks for Eco friendly Food Consumption
Below are 5 tricks for eco friendly food consumption:
- Stop Adding Petrochemicals to your Food
Avoid storing food in plastic since it is made from petrochemicals normally sourced from crude oil. You can easily identify this on the clear label with initials that start from #1 to #7. Some of these petrochemicals are safer whereas others are more harmful. Of these 7, #5 is the safest but no need to risk using plastic. Instead use glass since it is safe and will never leach any harmful chemicals into your food. Avoid using plastic when storing or reheating food and use glass for storage.
- Use the Microwave Safely
There have been lots of concerns as to whether the microwave is safe or not with respect to plastic food storage. This is debatable since when a plastic item is marked “microwave safe” that only means that it cannot melt when you use it in the microwave. It is not clear as to whether the plastic will leach chemicals or not when used in the microwave. A safer option to use is a glass container without the lead when microwaving.
There are also some concerns as to whether it is safe to microwave food or not. Well, there has never been a conclusive report on whether or not the microwave affects food chemically and makes them toxic. It is therefore safe to microwave your food. Just avoid standing next to the microwave while it is in use.
- Avoid Food Wastage and Save Money
Reliable statistics stipulate that an average American household can waste more than $2200 every year as a result of food wastage. You can find sustainable ways of avoiding food wastage and save money. To begin with, it is important to note that expiry date on labels do not mean the exact date food items will expire. It only means the food item will be in perfect condition until then. That simply means the food item will not be in its best taste or form by that time, even though it is still consumable. Therefore there is no telling if the food item has really expired by that date or not.
- Employ Smart Food Storage Habits to Save Money
There are smart ways of saving energy on your fridge through the way you store food. First off, once you are done with cooking, allow the food to cool on the stove before storing it in the fridge. This way, you will not take in the heat to the fridge and avoid extra humidity. Secondly, when defrosting anything, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator so that it thaws out. This will help the fridge stay cold and save energy. Finally, for all food items stored in the fridge, always let the food cool down to room temperature before placing them in the fridge.
- Use Re-usable Plastics
As mentioned earlier, plastic bags are made from petrochemicals and when disposed they contaminate the environment. Furthermore, they have already contaminated the environment when being manufactured. To prevent environmental pollution, try to re-use plastic bags or return them for a refund in places where stores give such a benefit. An average home can save up to $50 in a year by returning bags to stores that offer a refund of 5 to 10 cents for a single bag.
You can conserve the environment in the way you cook, store and dispose food items and plastic bags by following these 5 tricks for eco friendly food consumption. It is not that difficult to be a part of the effort towards a sustainable global environment. It all starts with the way you handle food items in your home.
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