Let’s Chow!

I was out of town in Boston this weekend, so this will be a non-recipe post that still addresses food. After all, food is tied into so many things in our lives. I do my very best to avoid leaving a larger carbon footprint than absolutely necessary, and that applies to what I do professionally and personally. When it comes to my kitchen and all the steps it takes to get food on a plate, there are actually many ways to do damage to the Earth. On top of using the essentials like appliances, water, and gas, there are subtle things that we often take for granted. For example, having a worldly dinner of Chilean sea bass paired with a German Riesling wine is delectable nonetheless, but the ‘food miles‘ are usually not taken into consideration when enjoying these eclectic delights. It takes quite a shipment via ship, plane, or truck before it gets onto your dinner plate, and all those vehicles consume oil - not to mention lots of it.

We have all seen this image that refers to the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” It’s not quite ground shattering, CNN-worthy news. The fundamental principle to this mantra is to follow it in the order that it reads. The real solution is to reduce consumption. Since that is not always feasible due to the growing world population, the next best solution is to reuse what we have. And lastly, there is recycling, which still uses a significant amount of energy in the process, but is still better than throwing it all into landfills, emitting methane for example, and leaving goods that only decompose after a million years (e.g., plastics, Styrofoam).

It is very difficult to draw the line, especially when you want to experience and learn about other cultures’ foods and ways of living. I will likely come back to this topic later on because I think it deserves some further analysis. While we can’t entirely eliminate our worldly food desires, there are some ways that I personally follow to alleviate some CO₂ in the atmosphere:

1. Paper or plastic? Neither: Use reusable shopping bags. I don’t believe this is a fad because the reality of the plastic bag consumption is atrocious. Plastic bags end up in oceans, coastlines, and landfills. From an environmental slide show, if “1 out of 5 people in our country used a reusable bag we would save 1,350,560,000,000 bags over our life time.” That outrageous number with far too many zeros translates to over one trillion. I admire cities like San Francisco and other countries who have taken the step to either ban or charge a premium to use plastic bags. On a side note, I have gotten strange looks from store cashiers because I refused their plastic/paper bags, as if I were some alien. It’s really okay to take the road less traveled. You can take that opportunity to let them know what you are doing to help the environment, or just be an unspoken role model.
2. Recycle food packaging: My Chicago condo building and my client work location do not have recycling facilities, but I will bring my recycled goods to a facility that recycles, like the local recycling drop-off center or the airport. Yes, I bring my bottles and cans to the airport when I travel for work because there is an area right before the security checkpoint with bins. There are a ton of things you can recycle, from paper/cardboard packaging, to plastic bottles #1-5 and #7 (generally), aluminum cans, glass containers, and plastic bag wrappings, etc. If you can, take the extra minute to examine the packaging to determine if it’s recyclable or not. If you aren’t sure, consult me or even Earth 911.
3. Buy in bulk: Along with following #2, buying larger sized items reduces the packaging involved. For example, buying one 20 ounce container of ketchup takes less material than buying two 10 ounce containers. Also, I have started to buy goods from the bulk bins. This includes spices from my local spice shop (e.g., Coffee and Tea Exchange), and also bulk goods such as rice, flour, oats, nuts, and many other things available at Whole Foods or other stores. It is far less expensive, and you can also choose the exact quantity you need. When you buy something in a jar or box, part of the cost comes from packaging and advertising.
4. Buy locally grown foods: Supporting local foods means supporting the nearby farms that grow produce and other goods, also known as CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. The easiest way to do this is to shop at your local farmers’ markets…with your reusable shopping bag, of course
5. Eat less meat: I grew up eating meat as a main source of protein and pure enjoyment and habit. However, the consequences of consuming meat in large quantities does have a toll on the environment, despite my love for medium-rare filet mignon and prime rib. The harsh reality to eating meat is that it takes an enormous amount of energy and resources to raise animals for human consumption. See Mark Bittman’s article, Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, for an eye-opener.

There are certainly more ways to be environmentally conscious when cooking, eating, and shopping beyond the five listed above. I felt most compelled to list the ones that I currently practice daily, or whenever possible. Please feel free to share your ideas!