In this hard economic time, everyone is talking about going green; not only is it a great way to help the environment, it is a great way to save money too. Going green is not expensive at all; one of the most important places to start is in the kitchen.

What does it mean to “go green”?

Going green is a catch phrase that means you live in a way that is healthier for yourself, and the environment. For example: recycling, using cloth bags instead of plastic bags, eating less meat, using only organically made foods or items. These are just a few of the basic things that people do to go green; more in depth methods would be: becoming a vegan which means you don’t use animals in any way to make a profit including eating them, watching them for entertainment, and not wearing clothes made out of animal hide. Also growing your own fruits and vegetables, making your own clothes, switching household cleaners to ones that are safer for our homes and the environment, are all ways you can go green.

How to go green in the kitchen

By going green in the kitchen you will not only be healthier and help the environment, you will also save a lot of money. Start out by only buying foods locally; most foods are shipped to our stores from around the world using a lot of gas to get here. Shop at your local farmers market and buy products that are from the area. The famers market also has organic foods that will cost less than buying them in the stores.

When going green in the kitchen you not only need to be mindful of the foods you eat, but you need to be mindful of the amount of electricity you use. If you love to bake bread, get a smaller oven to use less electricity and try to limit the amount of bread you bake. Don’t throw out excess food. If you cook pasta or rice in chicken broth, don’t throw out the broth; save it and make a soup with it later.
Buy ingredients and products in recyclable containers such as glass or plastic ones. You can easily reuse those in your own home. If you can’t reuse them in your home, you can most likely recycle them at the store. It is important not to make extra waste by throwing out containers and left over food. Try planning your meals in advance to lessen the amount of leftovers. If you end up with extra food and don’t want to waste it, grind it up into compost and use it in your garden.

Why go green?

As mentioned before, going green is good for you, your health, the environment, and your wallet. Saving money is on most people’s minds during this recession; reuse containers, buy local food, limit the amount of electricity you use, and be mindful of what you buy. Do all of those things and you will be living green and saving yourself a bundle of money.