Your 6 Eco - Friendly Cooking Tips

Because how we prepare our food has a big impact on the environment…

We spend lots of time happily trying to decide what to eat. But we rarely give as much thought to how we prepare or cook our food.


The thing is, creating meals can be one of the most energy-hungry and environmentally challenging times for our homes. In the UK, cooking represents nearly 14% of consumers’ total electricity use, while cooling or freezing food uses around another 17%.1


But there are plenty of ways we can shrink our environmental footprint with smarter food preparation and cooking. It’s better for the planet, and our own wellbeing.

So why not give these green gastronomic hacks a go...


1. Turn down The heat

Turn off the heat under a pan of vegetables a couple of minutes early and you’ll discover many of your favourite foods will be more nutritious, tastier, and cleverly energy-saving. Just check anything that needs to be is cooked all the way through!


2. Steam ahead

An even more environmentally-friendly2 – and healthy – cooking technique is to steam your vegetables. You need only heat a small amount of water and the result is tender and crisp goodies on your plate, packing more of their vitamins and minerals than if they’ve been boiled. Peas, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, asparagus and root veg are particularly good.


3. Chop, Chop! 

Reduce cooking times and save energy and money by simply cutting your vegetables or meat into smaller pieces. You’ll also have smaller, more bite-sized portions on your plate.


4. cook Smart

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter when we’re taking an ecologically kinder approach in the kitchen. Here are a few things to think about:

•  Putting lids on pans can reduce cooking time by up to 40%3

•  Ensure pans on a stove just cover the gas burner, with no flames up the sides

• Cook big – a pan’s efficiency is reduced by 80% if it’s only a fifth full

•  For smaller amounts of food microwaves can use up to 50% less energy than a                conventional oven

•  Heat water in a kettle and transfer it to a pan once boiled. Kettles use less energy than boiling pans.6


5. use the right tools

On a stove, iron and copper pans will conduct heat best and reduce cooking times. In the oven it’s best to use glass and ceramic containers.7


6. Go Raw

Enjoy food as nature intended and don’t cook it at all. Salads, wraps and chilled soups are all great ways to eat well. 


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