The awareness of the environment and our responsibility towards it is becoming an issue that we cannot ignore anymore. Most of us would like to make an effort to leave behind a green planet for our future generations. However, the festive season sometime leaves us with very little time to do something about it. But now you can stop feeling guilty for putting your passion for an eco-friendly lifestyle on the back-burner during the festivities.
How so? Well, as it turns out, we have just the apt agendas that will fit in perfectly with the feasting and the merrymaking. So, check out these 9 eco-friendly tips for Thanksgiving; and, then go ahead and carve the turkey while you conserve the water, time and energy too.
1. Prefer the local farmer
On this Thanksgiving buy local food. Most of us are not aware that food items travel a ballpark distance of at least 1500 miles to reach our table. Make an effort to go and pick up produce from the local farmers market. The food will be much more fresh, lesser fuel would have been used for transportation and will taste definitely better too.
2. Design an organic feast
A Thanksgiving spread made with a local produce will be a greater hit with the home crowd. Go for an organic theme and include veggies from the fall in the spread.
It is a well-known fact that organic foods have an antioxidant level that is almost thirty percent higher than the commercial produce. And if you still haven’t switched to an organic lifestyle, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to make a fresh start. Protect your family from the chemical sprays and pesticides and give them natures bounties as she intended them to.
3. Start a compost pit
The huge volumes of food that are cooked during the festive season are inspiration enough for a compost kit. Identify a spot in the backyard where you can keep dumping your peels, shells of eggs, and any other grounding.
The decomposition will create a nutrient rich soil that will provide a much-needed boost to your garden plants. In the go green lingo it also means lesser plastic bags going to a landfill. Teach your children the valuable lesson of giving thanks to Mother Nature.
4. Do not waste water
Most of us make the common mistake of letting the cold water run, while waiting for the hot water. Next time keep a pasta pot handy and fill it up with that water, and then use it later.
Instead of wasting so many liters of water, use it to make tea, boil potatoes and just about anything. Another handy tip that can add to your go green pledge is to always run a dishwasher on a full load and opt for the air dry option rather than the heat dry to save power.
5. Pick the right size of the pot
The simplest method to save power is – by choosing the right size of the pot and the optimum burner to go with it. As obvious, a small burner will take forever to heat a big pot, and a large burner will waste a lot of pan in heating a small skillet.
6. Reduce the clean up with an aluminium foil
If you line your pans and baking trays with an aluminium sheet, the load on washing will be reduced considerably. The foil will catch the spills and drips and cut down on the mess. Always buy foil, which is made from recycled aluminium.
7. Switch to cloth napkins this year
Take inspiration from your mother and grandmother and place cloth napkins this year. They look more homely and spread a warm feeling all around. And you eat with the satisfaction that no trees were cut in in order to make napkins for you. Cloth napkins can be washed, stored and used again next year.
8. Pack and freeze leftovers
Pack your leftovers in freezer proof containers or casseroles and bowls. Avoid plastic bags and disposable containers. Ask your friends to carry their containers for leftovers; we are sure they would like to join the initiative. And when you want to reheat this food, use the stove and not the microwave. The food will retain its nutrients, and will be much more tastier.
9. Spending quality time with friends and family saves energy too!
In these stressful times we hardly get time to spend quality time with neighbors and friends. On this Thanksgiving take out your little black book and invite as many friends as you can.
The more the attendance the greater the savings on energy. Just one kitchen in over drive for many households, means a more merrier and energy smart Thanksgiving.
