Diet & Cooking
Overview
Every day, the food choices we make have an impact on the planet. This week, we’ll attempt to eat more sustainably by increasing our intake of colorful fruits and vegetables and reducing our meat consumption. We’ll share salad “selfies” and find creative ways to reduce food waste by re-imaging leftovers. Let’s eat with our beautiful Earth in mind!
Activities & Challenges
This week, we have two activities and two challenges that focus on small changes in our diet that can have a BIG impact on our planet.
ACTIVITIES:
- Eat Your Colors! (FOR KIDS) CLICK HERE for details.
- Eat plant-based meals for 1, 2, 3 or more full days this week.
Use our EAT PLANT-BASED MEALS Submission Form [sidebar or below on mobile devices] to share what you did.
Need some inspiration? CLICK HERE to access a mystery recipe.
CHALLENGES:
1. Participate in our Spice Up Your Salad! Challenge (see video below)
Snap a Salad Selfie and send it to webmaster@cherryhillna.org and/or use the hashtag #saladselfie if you post to social media.We’ll create a gallery with all submissions.
2. Participate in our Leftovers Challenge (see video below).
Use our LEFTOVERS CHALLENGE Submission Form [sidebar or below on mobile devices] to share what you did. If you have a photo, please send it to webmaster@cherryhillna.org and/or use the hashtag #WhatToDoWithTheExtra if you post to social media. We’ll create a gallery with all submissions.
Our Salad Selfies!
Click any image to enlarge it and/ or view the description
Send your “Salad Selfies” (and descriptions) to webmaster@cherryhillna.org
Leftovers Challenge!
Click any image to enlarge it and/ or view the description
Send your “Leftovers Challenge” photos (and descriptions) to webmaster@cherryhillna.org
Other Actions You Can Take
Going forward, here are some other actions you can take:
- Believe that you can have a bigger impact than you imagine.
- Small steps DO matter. Even if you skip meat-based meals every now and then, it will help!
- Commit to eating plant-based meals 1-2 times a week.
- Pay attention to food waste and shift your shopping habits if you find you are throwing away food because it has spoiled (reduce the amount you buy at one time or shop more frequently for perishable items). Also, try to cook in portions that will be eaten at the meal if you are not comfortable eating leftovers.
- Choose produce that is in season and, ideally, locally grown.
- Look for opportunities to buy “imperfect” fruits and vegetables.
- Grow some of your own food (our Gardening & Composting week is coming up!).
- Consider the idea of “cosmetic” protein–i.e., replacing portion size with flavor. What this looks like is a plate of plant-based proteins (beans and grains) with animal protein being treated as a garnish or a flavoring.
- Participate in food swaps with neighbors (a great way to get new recipe ideas!).
- Eat less processed and packaged foods.
Resources & Further Reading
- Did you participate in Sunnyvale’s 2021 Earth Week? If not, click here to learn more about this fun and interesting program sponsored by the City of Sunnyvale.
- SEVEN great food blogs to follow: Zero Waste Chef (from Mountain View!), Kitchn, With Food + Love by Sher Castellano, Erin Alderson, 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson, Cookie and Kate by Kathryne Taylor, Green Kitchen Stories by David & Luise
- Did you know you can check out an Induction Cooktop Kit from the Sunnyvale Library for up to 3 weeks? Induction cooktops are an electric alternative to gas stovetops and are more than 40% more energy efficient than gas stoves with better heat control.
- Epicurious has decided to no longer publish recipes containing beef. Click here to read “Why Epicurious Left Beef Behind“
Banner image by Nadine Primeau for unsplash.
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