Eco-conscious in the kitchen with Jillian McMullen, R.D.

Happy Earth Day!  I’ve written about how our food choices affect the environment, but we haven't talked much about the impact of how we store and prepare foods once we get them home.  I recently got some great tips on how to be more eco-conscious in the kitchen from registered dietitian Jillian McMullen:

MR: What are some of the biggest energy-wasting habits that home cooks fall into?

JM: Here are some of the most common:

1. Not knowing what can be recycled. Many are good about recycling their plastic bottles, soda cans, milk jugs, and newspapers. However, there are many other regularly used kitchen products that can be recycled. To name a few: condiment bottles, old cookbooks, cooking magazines, newsletters, jelly and pickle jars, jar lids, foil trays, foil wrap, soft drink bottles, margarine containers, plastic grocery bags, cereal boxes, shipping boxes, paper and plastic disposable dinnerware, cake mix boxes, flour and sugar bags, and canned food containers.

2. Throwing things out that can be reused. We can get many uses out of old containers from the things we buy on a regular basis. Margarine containers can be re-filled with leftovers. Plastic grocery bags can double as garbage bags for small trash bins, lunch bags or even dog waste disposal. Two-liter soda bottles can be refilled with water or cut and used as a place to grow an herb garden. Glass jars are great to store homemade jellies and sauces. Shipping boxes can be used for storage of just about anything (cookbooks, loose cooking utensils, etc.)

3. Using too many packaging materials in the first place. Not everything has to be put in a plastic bag when purchasing fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables with disposable skins such as bananas, citrus fruits, and avocados will do just fine hanging loose in the cart. Other items can be gathered together in reusable bags or bins brought from home. This also holds true for those who bring their lunch to work. Reusable lunch bags work great. Individual food items can be packed in Tupperware containers instead of disposable sandwich bags. Think along these lines for leftovers, too.

MR: Are some methods of cooking more energy efficient than others? 

JM: Yes! Cooking foods in the microwave will save much more energy than using the stovetop or oven. This is because it cooks the food faster and the energy heats only the food instead of the whole oven. Plus quicker cooking in the microwave helps preserve more vitamins and minerals in the foods.

MR: We’ve been taught to refrigerate cooked promptly to reduce bacterial growth—but doesn’t that heat up the fridge? Is there a more energy-efficient way to do follow safe-food handling practices?

JM: Putting hot food in the refrigerator does heat up the refrigerator, which puts more strain on the motor. This can also cause the other foods to heat up as well, which may promote bacterial growth. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food, and cut fresh fruits and vegetables can sit at room temperature for up to two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer. The time is reduced to one hour if the food starts out at a temperature above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also helpful to divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.

Here are some other energy-saving tips from Jillian: