Being a greener eater doesn’t need to be costlier. With today’s economy, that’s never seemed more important. In fact, there are many ways in which you’ll actually save money by helping to save Mother Earth! Sign up for “Big Green Cookletter” where you’ll find eco-conscious, cost-conscious advice. In the meantime, try these down-to-earth “DOs”:

• DO “green-size” your shopping:

  Consider ways that you can prevent having excess food waste. One way is by green-sizing your shopping list. Buy just the foods that you need—and in the sizes or amounts that you can use before they spoil. (That’s where a shopping list comes in handy!) By reducing the amount of food that you might potentially waste, you’ll be saving money and valuable resources. And watch out for those “buy one, get one free” offers; they may just result in more food waste.

• DO cook by season:

  Aim to mostly use produce that’s in season in your own local area (or, better yet, your own garden!) for the greenest fruit and veggie experience. If a fruit or vegetable is available at your local farmers’ market, that’s a good sign of seasonality. And when in season locally, produce is at its peak of nutritional value and flavor—and at its cheapest! Use the Seasonal Produce Guide (see page 361 in Big Green Cookbook)—to help you find seasonal ingredients.

• DO tap:

  Bottled water used to have a pure image. But we now know there are several issues with it. One is the fact that it’s not as tightly regulated for safety as tap water. Another is all of those bottles, period—from the chemicals in the plastic to the landfills that are all bottled up. So kick the bottled water habit, if you haven’t already. Though tap water isn’t perfect, it’s the greenest choice. (And it’s the cheapest choice!) I call for fresh water in Big Green Cookbook recipes … in other words, fresh cold water from the tap. And if you have any concerns with your tap water, filter it accordingly.

• DO meet your microwave again:

  Since the microwave oven can reduce energy use by roughly two thirds compared to a conventional oven, use it to do more than just reheating and making popcorn. Try “micro-roasting” or “micro-baking”: cooking in the microwave oven; ”micro-steaming”: steaming in the microwave oven; and “micro-stewing”: stewing in the microwave oven. Reduced energy use means reduced cost! (For more, see A Note about Microwaves on page 16 in Big Green Cookbook.)

• DO be a better greener baker:

  Are you a swinger? Every time you swing open a hot oven, it may lose 25º to 50ºF. That means you’ll need to use more energy for reheating—and possibly more energy to cool down the kitchen. So resist the urge to peek and instead use the oven’s looking glass when you’re baking. And if it’s summer, consider doing any big-oven baking really early or really late in the day when it’s cooler. It’ll save energy and ultimately save lots of cents. And that makes sense.

“Cook Green, Save Green Strategies” adapted from Big Green Cookbook by Jackie Newgent, RD (Wiley).

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