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Hope everyone is keeping sane and healthy as we enter week 5429 (I’ve lost count) of shelter in place. As always, I’ve been finding my happy place in the kitchen, cooking up new recipes, and trying my hand at baking. In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share how I’m making an effort to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious while in the kitchen. As humans, we create a lot of waste. There’s an estimated 8.8 million tons of plastic waste in the ocean. And, as the climate continues to get warmer, this directly impacts our food supply. Things we take for granted like coffee, avocados, shrimp, seafood in general, wine (yes, wine!), and fruits will all change in our warmer growing world. Until we get measures in place that help combat waste, emissions, climate change, and everything that comes along with it, there are things you can do as an individual or family to help reduce your carbon footprint. Here are a few ideas: Stop buying bottled water. There’s no need! If you can get a Brita filter, use that. Or, invest in a solid water bottle (my favorite is Swell). I vowed to not buy a single plastic water bottle in 2018 and haven’t looked back. Cut back on single use plastic. Instead of using plastic bags, I’ve invested in Stasher Bags. They are reusable silicone bags that are great for storing pretty much anything. Instead of using plastic wrap, try some reusable silicone lids. These are great and fit on top of all of your bowls, cups, and containers. Get some Beeswrap. I use this ALL the time. It’s the best way to store half an onion, some leftover produce, a chunk of cheese, or half a sandwich. Chefs and home cooks all over have been posting and promoting this type of wrap on social media. You simply wash it every few uses and it’s ready to go. Save all your veggie scraps and reuse them for homemade broths. It’ll save you money and homemade broths always taste better. Below is a link to how I save mine and turn them into broths that can be used for soups and sauces.
I hope this inspires you to make even one small change especially as so many leaders in the food industry are moving towards more sustainable and eco-friendly business models. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any other suggestions on what you’re doing to promote planet health! If you’re interested, check out the podcast linked here with my favorite chef of all time, David Chang, and author, David Wallace-Wells, as they discuss Wallace-Wells’s book The Uninhabitable Earth. This was the book and podcast episode that opened my eyes to the connection between our food supply, the future of how we will eat, and climate change. Happy Cooking, Kelsey (@hellokelccooks on Instagram)
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