25 MORE Ways to Eat Sustainably

Hope you enjoyed the first 25 ways to eat sustainably.

Here are 25 more ways.

1. 1. Save that Cooking Water - I have to admit, I never do this but what a great idea! When you blanch or steam vegetables, use the nutrient rich water to boil pasta or water the plant! (only if it doesn't have oil or salt)
   2. EAT SAFER SEAFOOD! Any WILD fish from Alaska is SAFE to eat - Salmon (recipe), Alaskan Halibut, etc. And demand non-GE salmon.
   3. Anything in a shell like Mussels, clams and oysters are almost always sustainably raised.
   4. WILD AMERICAN shrimp.
   5. Local varieties - Dungenes crabs from the Northwest (I've eaten Dungenes at Dungenes Pit in Sequim, WA and it. is. to. die. for!) or line-caught striped bass and haddock from the Northeast, and so on.
   6. Buy sustainably and ethical canned tuna - American albacore is the only canned variety that's certified to be sustainably fished.
   7. Use honey instead of sugar. It takes a huge amount of resources to process sugar. Use local, sustainably raised honey as a sweetener.
   8. Plant more than just flowers. Plant herbs. They are so easy to take care of and you will undoubtedly use up whatever you plant.
   9. Compost your kitchen waste. No need for explanation on this one.

1. Limit yourself to two appliances in the kitchen - and use them. My microwave oven broke, oh..., about three months ago. I think. I can't even remember when. That's how much I DON'T miss it. It is amazing. Now, I only cook with the stove top and am just finishing using the outdoor BBQ. I try not to bake that much so that I don't use the oven that often -- although I did make homemade granola today, thanks to Becky's inspirational Glue & Glitter's delicious granola recipe. Anyway, but you'll realize how you really don't need too many appliances in the kitchen to cook.
2. Drink fair-trade-certified and sustainable coffee. - you can also look for "bird friendly" or the Rainforest Alliance label, which means the beans were grown responsibly. Brew it at home with a French Press (I love my Frieling Stainless French Press.
3. Buy organic olive oil. Buy American variety to save money and to support American made.
4. Make your own vinaigrette and don't buy commercial salad dressing. Homemade salad dressing stored in a corked glass bottle in the fridge will keep for a week.
5. Make your own stock with leftover meats and vegetables for later use.
6. Buy WHOLE free-range organic chickens. Cut it up yourself to get more meat for the money.
7. Fill up the oven. If I have to use the oven to cook a meal, I always cook roasted vegetables or baked side dish to go with it. Why waste all that heat when you can cook something else while the main entree is being baked.
8. Pick healthier pots and pans. I do not have any non-stick pans or pots. I threw them out years ago. I love my Stainless Steel Cookware Set for every day use. I also have a cast iron skillet that my hubby bought one a few years ago for $20 and we love it! They are all healthier than the non-stick pans that are coated with Teflon - PFOA - substance made from petroleum and gives off carcinogens when heated in high temperature. (It can kill certain birds when heated in high temperatures)
9. Have a green BBQ. I know BBQ season is over but if you are into charcoal briquettes, try the carbon-neutral Green Hearts Natural Charcoal Briquettes made of wood. So much greener than charcoal briquettes.
10. Buy grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free meats. Be a smarter carnivore and skip the meats that have been raised with antibiotics and hormone.
11. Choose domestic meats. In other words, buy American lambs and not New Zealand lambs that are actually from New Zealand. Imagine how much carbon footprint it took to get here.
12. Eat meat seasonally. I didn't know this but just like eating produce seasonally, there is a season for meats too...like turkey at Thanksgiving - the birds mature in the fall, lamb in spring and goose at Christmas.
13. Use natural wax paper. Use it instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It's compostable, reusable when wiped down, and can be taped down with masking tape.
14. Buy glass containers or reuse glass jars or bottles. I don't use plastic containers anymore and I think the foods taste better too when stored in glass containers. I also have stainless containers for storing foods. Use either option and toss the plastics. Recycle them. Reuse them for storing non-food items. And DO NOT ever microwave plastic. 'Microwave safe' label only means the plastic will not melt when microwaved. It does NOT mean food is safe for human consumption after being microwaved in it.
15. Wrap with dish towels and don't use plastic wrap for covering foods.
16. Pack your lunch for the family. So much packaging is wasted on buying fast foods or even healthy meals outside the home. Pack your own lunch in your own lunch totes and bags. There are so many pretty and durable options available now.

Hope you enjoyed this list of 50 ways of eating sustainably. Just in case you missed it, here are the first 25 Ways to Eat Sustainably.

Even if you don't do all of them, try to make a goal of doing at least one more every day. It will make a huge difference, not only for your family's health, but for the health of your kids' future.

Here are some more healthy eating related posts you might like:

• The dirty dozen - a list of foods you should DEFINITELY buy organic and another dozen you don't have to - from Environmental Working Group.
• 11 Things I never Buy to be Safe and Save Money. - why waste money when you can skip buying some of these?
• Dirty secrets from the restaurant industry experts - some you know and some might surprise you
• Make your own homemade laundry detergent - it's SAFE and CHEP!
• 7 foods even food experts won't eat.  - you might know some of them already but some, you might not.

Compost Image: CC image via Flickr by normanack