Blasting the heat in this summer is already a huge energy
sucker, but so is cooking on the stovetop! (I know, right?! who’d have
thought.) Thinking about how much cooking goes on in the house each day really
opens one’s eyes to just how much of an energy waster cooking really is. There
isn’t really much any of us can do to stop all that heat from escaping from the
stovetop, but there are a few small tweaks that can be made to cut down of some
energy costs while still providing your home with healthy foods.
Cook with leftovers in mind. Now, of course this isn’t always
going to be possible, but putting meals together ahead of time can save a lot
of time and energy. Cooking a large batch of food all at once will use a little
bit more energy during the process. However, it would take a lot more energy to
cook the same foods 7 times over for each night of the week. Even heating food
up for a few minutes in a small toaster-oven or microwave will use less energy
than cooking on the stovetop.
In addition to saving energy, there are several foods that
are healthy and keep well in the fridge (and may not even need to be
re-heated). Try out some flavorful and vitamin rich grains instead of the same
old pasta. Keep in mind that it takes a lot of heat and thus a lot of energy to heat up boiling water. So,
when you are using water to boil some pasta, rice, or quinoa make sure to
follow the exact measurements on your cooking instructions.
Buying Tip: There are some stove top tricks that can stop you
from over-using electricity when it’s not needed. If your budget allows, try
purchasing some higher quality cookware. Higher caliber pots and pans are
usually made from a denser metal or ceramic which actually helps to hold in
heat. This means that you can remove your food from heat before it is quite
finished cooking and the cookware will do the rest.
Cooking Tip: If you are concerned about keeping your food warm
try using a slow cooker or place a lid over your food with a sturdy towel over
the lid of your pot of food instead of keeping it over the burner. Of course,
make sure that your burner is off and keep the pot off of the heat for a couple
of minutes before placing the towel on top of your lid just to make sure that
any fire hazards are avoided. Slow cookers use much less energy to heat up food
than a conventional oven. As a rule of thumb, less space to heat means less energy is being used.
Try some no heat “cooking”. Eating salads every day of the week
is not fun, even for vegans and vegetarians. However, there are many foods that
can be eaten raw in order to gain the full health benefits of the food as well
as eliminate the need to cook your next course. Including items that do not
need cooking like fresh veggies, fruit, and nuts in your food can give your
dinner an added health bonus and remove the need for cooking. Just because the
ingredients are raw does not mean the food is boring. Many foodies have adapted
their lifestyle to include a healthier raw diet, which means good news for the
rest of us who can check out their awesome raw recipes. No bake recipes, like this Cashew Pesto from the Guardian, can
not only be frozen, but can also be used as a dip, pasta sauce, and pizza
topping - that means at least 3 potential meal ideas throughout your week.
How do you keep it healthy and energy efficient in the
summer months?
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Trisha is a freelance writer from Boise, ID. She is a dedicated vegan and promotes an all around healthy lifestyle. You can take a look at her blog thatdangvegan.com and find her on twitter @thatdangvegan
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Trisha is a freelance writer from Boise, ID. She is a dedicated vegan and promotes an all around healthy lifestyle. You can take a look at her blog thatdangvegan.com and find her on twitter @thatdangvegan