5 tips for more sustainability in the kitchen

Numerous foods are contaminated with many pollutants in conventional cultivation. Therefore, the selection of organic products that can be grown without these pollutants plays an important role not only for our environment but also for us humans. For instance, potatoes, apples, spinach, lettuce, celery, strawberries or peaches are best bought with an organic certification, as these foods contain a particularly large number of harmful substances in conventional production. The situation is different with foods such as mushrooms, corn, asparagus, onions, cabbage, honeydew or watermelons – hardly any pesticides are used to grow these products and you can therefore enjoy them without hesitation even if they are not organic. It is just as important to consciously choose animal products and to always go back to purely plant-based foods. Farm animals are one of the key factors for the high CO2 emissions. According to a study by the Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), this industrial sector produces even more CO2 emissions than the entire transport industry. This should definitely inspire us to think, rethink and act.

Now we have bought regionally, seasonally and organic quality and pay attention to a plant-rich diet. Now it is time to plan the week. Ideally, a meal plan should be pre-planned for the entire week. So you know exactly what needs to be bought the next time you go shopping, it is easy on your wallet because nothing unnecessary ends up in the shopping cart and ensures stress-free cooking. It would be great to prepare your dishes fresh as often as possible. This is the only way to know exactly which products are being used. If there is still something in the fridge at the end of the week that urgently needs to be used up, then you can definitely conjure up something delicious with a creative dish made from leftover produce. Important: even if the best-before date may already have passed, it is advisable to open it, smell it and taste it. Most of these foods are still wonderfully edible after the official expiry date. Drinking tap water is particularly sustainable – it is not only healthy, it also saves money, waste and the tedious task of lugging around bottled drinks.

Garbage is produced after shopping or cooking and many foods can only be bought pre-packaged. However, some supermarkets already offer the option of shopping loose produce. You can fill your own containers with pasta, lentils, nuts and much more. This is also an environmentally friendly alternative for detergents and cleaning products. In addition to choosing products with little or no packaging, it is advisable to bring your own shopping bags (i.e. jute or linen bags) with you when you go shopping. Equally important is conscious recycling and the composting of organic waste. The purchase of kitchen appliances should also be well considered. Which gadgets are really needed and which end up in the cupboard? Can you operate the kitchen appliances with electricity from the socket or do you need a battery for it? Batteries are particularly harmful to the environment if they are improperly disposed of and cost much more than electricity from the socket.