Cooking the Green Way

The kitchen is one of the best places to start living green. It\'s where you use the most energy and resources-you make your meals, clean the counter, do the dishes, and sometimes entertain friends and family. But most people don\'t make the change simply because they don\'t know where to start. How do you "green up" your kitchen without sacrificing the quality of your meals?

It\'s actually a lot easier than you think. In fact, you don\'t even have to spend a dime to make a greener kitchen. All it takes is a few simple changes-you\'ll even end up eating better and saving money in the process!

Start by stocking up on greener ingredients. As much as possible, avoid processed and pre-packaged foods and opt for natural raw ingredients like fruits and vegetables. That way, you get to control what goes into your food and make sure there are no added chemicals. Choose locally grown varieties instead of imported ones-it takes a lot more energy to fly produce from other countries than grow them right at home.

Consider replacing your cooking tools with more energy-efficient ones. Glass and ceramic baking pans retain heat better than metal, so using them allows you to cut cooking time by as much as 15 minutes. Choose pots and pans with clear covers so you don\'t have to keep lifting the lid, wasting heat in the process. If you have a small household, you can probably do with a smaller microwave or coffeemaker. Older appliances often use up twice as much power as newer ones-if you have anything older than 15 years, you can probably save money by replacing it.

Slow cooking is gaining a good reputation as one of the greenest cooking methods. Slow cookers, also known as crock pots, use low heat over longer periods to cook your food. Studies have shown that even with an eight-hour cooking time, they still use less energy than conventional stoves. They also allow you to choose cheaper meat cuts and cut down on the flavorings, so they actually save you money in the long run.