Mom Goes Green

Each and every day, I “cook up some love” in the kitchen by way of plenty of home cooked meals.  While they may not be gourmet, they are loving prepared to keep my family healthy and nourished.

But there are also some very simple ways to cook up some conservation too… by way of not overconsuming energy and resources.  At first glance it may not seem like much, but add it up over time and you’ve also cooked up some conservation!  Give these simple tips a try:

• Skip preheating the oven – if you are roasting, broiling or baking for an hour or more, don’t preheat.  It simply isn’t necessary.  You can also shut off the oven 5 minutes before your cooktime is complete… the oven still holds the heat and keeps on cookin’!

• Use the right size pots and pans – small pots and pans on large burners waste energy and resources.

• Use lids – yes, a covered pot of water does reach boiling quicker than one that is uncovered.  And crank it up (as long as the flames aren’t escaping the sides). Water doesn’t need to slowly reach a boil, so get it rollin’!

• Use the microwave – whenever a microwave can be used for cooking or to do the early steps, use it!  Microwaves use 4-5 times less energy than your oven.

• Prepare only what you need – while cooking up a tremendous batch of whatever you’re serving may sound like a good idea at the time, make sure it will actually get consumed instead of eventually winding up in the trash or disposal.  If not, food obviously goes to waste but all of the resources to produce that food got wasted as well.

See… simple! Happy cooking and conserving!…

Every time I visit the organic dairy case, I get more and more overwhelmed by the classifications and categorizations of eggs.  Too many terms… too many confusing terms!

They can also be misleading and aren’t always as “dreamy” as they might seem, so take a look at the real deal on these most common terms in the   “egg world”:

• Organic – these eggs come from hens that are free of hormones, steroids and antibiotics.  They are fed an organic, vegetarian, pesticide-free diet.  Organic eggs are said to include three times more omega-3 fatty acids, twice as much vitamin E and 40% more vitamin A than non-organic eggs.  This label is regulated by the USDA.

• Cage-free – while cage-free sounds more humane, the reality isn’t always as great as it sounds.  While the hens aren’t confined to tiny individual cages, they are often placed in much larger common areas with other hens, but have no more individual space than a single cage… so no, cage-free does not mean they have ample space to spread their wings either.  Also keep in mind that this “label” is not regulated and cage-free does not mean organic unless it says so.

• Free-range – these hens are raised with “access” to the outdoors, but sadly it doesn’t mean they spend their life prancing around the grassy hillside.  The reality is that they still spend much of their life in a cage-free environment, but are supposed get some time outdoors.  Since this term isn’t regulated either, some reports say that free-range hens may actually spend little to NO time outdoors despite the claim.  Again, free-range does not mean organic unless it says so.

There are plenty of other terms –- “natural” which essentially means nothing (all eggs are natural!), “pasture-raised” which means they do peck around outdoors or “grass-fed” meaning they do get outdoors and eat grass, insects and all that nature intended (so these eggs contain the most nutrients, but you will pay for them… dearly!), “certified humane” meaning they live indoors, but are confined much less densely –- so all you can do is know what the terms mean and choose what matters to you.

I haven’t even touched on conventionally-raised hens but believe me, they are often fed cheap, disgusting grains and foods (including the by-products of other animals), kept in the smallest of cages with deplorable conditions, and have the tips of their beaks burned off so they don’t peck one another… sure, the dozen eggs you purchase may be 99 cents, but I cannot condone or support those practices.

We’re an “organic, free-range” family because, aside from raising my own chickens (no, not likely!) or knowing someone who does (unfortunately, I don’t!), I’m hoping that the eggs come from somewhat happy chickens that maintained a healthy diet and drug-free life!

(There you have it…  and I didn’t say “egg-cellent”, even once!…)

An essential part of maintaining good health is doing plenty of cooking at home, so we can control and select our own ingredients and food choices.  But what cook doesn’t love their collection of non-stick cookware?  Well, what if I told you those conveniences can be hazardous to our health?

(This is the part where we all sigh and our shoulders droop a little, I know!)

I just learned that non-stick pans can actually omit toxic fumes when they get too hot.  Yes, throw another log on the “disappointment fire”!  It seems these aluminum pans, coated in Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE (also known as Teflon), can emit fumes when subjected to high heat. Inhaling these fumes can actually cause flu-like symptoms. And although the long-term effects haven’t been extensively studied, we do know that exposure to PTFE can create problems like low birth-weight babies, thyroid and liver issues, elevated cholesterol levels, as well as weakened immune systems.

(A few years ago I remember one of my non-stick pans starting to flake away.  I tossed it out but, surprisingly, the flakes are actually inert.)

The better options for cookwares are actually stainless steel for stove-top cooking and glass bakeware for the oven. Cast iron is another safe choice. Unless you’re willing to replace all of your non-stick cookware, you can feel a little “stuck”, but there are guidelines (compliments of EWG) to lessen your exposure:

• Cook at lower temperatures and don’t pre-heat your pans at high temps.  It may take a little extra time, but it’s worth it.
• Never bake at over 500 degrees (some research even says not over 450 degrees).
• Use your exhaust fan.
• (A little side note too:  these fumes are highly toxic to birds, so keep your feathered friends far from the kitchen.)

If you’re like me, you’re probably not inclined or prepared to replace all of your non-stick cookware, but just use these tips to play it safe and the next time you’re in a position to buy replacements, make the wiser choices … and then invest in some good scrubbers!