Cooking our food has an impact on our earth, too!  The energy we use in the kitchen, the energy used in restaurants and cafes, the kinds of foods we eat and how it was grown and processed, the way we dispose of our food...all of these things play a part.  There are plenty of things you can do to make an impact - and they are easy, simple, save money, and fun!

• Cook at home one more meal per week than you are accustomed to.  Food waste in restaurants is high and eating at home reduces this consumption. 
• Learn about new foods and where they come from!  Appreciate the food you are eating and consider the work and energy that went into the food you consume.
• Check out the other sections about "Food" on this website - there are lots of good ideas about what kinds of foods and preparation methods are available and the different environmental impacts they have.
• Make a solar oven!  Solar ovens are easy and fast to make with materials you can find around the house, and use only the energy of the sun to make them work.  They can be used year-round in Manitoba and can get as hot or hotter than electric ovens!  Check out this downloadable .pdf to learn more about solar ovens and how to Build Your Own Solar Oven!
• Consider the energy you use when you cook.  How can you reduce your energy consumption?  Here are a few tips:
  • Keep lids on boiling water (your pot will boil faster too while using less heat)
  • Turn off the oven 10 minutes before cooking time is over for casseroles and stews
  • Make a "hot-box" out of old blankets or sleeping bag and a box or crate.  Heat your food in the oven or on the stove and then wrap it in the hot-box.  Your food will continue to cook, without using any additional energy!
  • Eat raw foods as a bigger part of your diet to save energy and gain different nutrients!
• Cook with friends and neighbours to share large meals and save on energy.
• Rather than small meals, cook food in bulk amounts to freeze and store or to refrigerate for the week.
• Use outdoor cob, brick or solar ovens and/or woodstoves when possible for natural, non-electric, non-gas methods of cooking.
• Be knowledgeable about barbeques and their impacts. Propane and natural gas are preferable fuels. Charcoal produces more particulate (smoke).

Mary Jane's Cooking School

Sustainable Table

Family Cooking and Activity Nights (St. Matthews-Maryland Community Ministry)

Preserving Project (St. Matthews-Maryland Community Ministry)