More and more each day, folks around the world are asking themselves what they can do to help the planet – from participating in beach clean-ups, environmental activism, or even joining a book club like the Environmentalism Book Club here at WPPL. There’s countless little actions in our day-to-day lives that we can take to chip in, at work, at play, and at home, and one great place to start is in the kitchen!
Did you know that nearly a fifth of all food produced each year is squandered or lost before it can be consumed? Did you also know that food loss and waste generates up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions – almost five times the total emissions compared to the aviation sector! One last grim statistic is that 60% of food waste happens at household level. Luckily, we can help change all that! Below is a collection of books full of delicious recipes and helpful tips & tricks to empower every one of us to be more sustainable and earth-friendly in our cooking and eating habits. Let’s get to it — bon appetit!
One Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones
Recipes for quick, sustainable, and stylish vegetable-centered meals. Also includes information to help you reduce waste, use leftovers, make your kitchen plastic-free, and make you a more environmentally mindful shopper.
Cool Food by Robert Downey Jr. & Thomas Kostigen
What we choose to eat, where we shop, and how we plan our meals are daily choices that can have a wide impact on the world, whether we realize it or not. This book will show you how to make simple choices, starting today–in the supermarket, in your kitchen, and in the world–to reduce your environmental impact.
Perfectly Good Food by Margaret Li & Irene Li
Written by the chef-sisters behind Boston’s acclaimed Mei Mei Dumplings, this cookbook/field guide is a crucial resource for the thrifty chef, the environmentally mindful cook, and anyone looking to make the most of their ingredients.
Plant & Planet by Goodful
Filled with 75 plant-based recipes for meal prep, everyday celebrations, and cooking with the seasons — as well as tips and quick hits of information about the environmental impact of these recipes — all to deliver a low-stress, high-impact path to a low-waste kitchen.
The Everlasting Meal Cookbook by Tamar Adler
An inspiring, money-saving, environmentally responsible, A-to-Z collection of simple recipes that utilize all leftovers–perfect for solo meals or for feeding the whole family.
How to Be a Conscious Eater by Sophie Egan
To eat consciously is not about diets, fads, or hard-and-fast rules. It’s about having straightforward, accurate information to make smart, thoughtful choices amid the chaos of conflicting news and marketing hype. This guide offers bottom-line answers to your most top-of-mind questions about what to eat.
Eat for the Planet by Nil Zacharies & Gene Stone
The entrepreneur/podcaster and the bestselling author of Forks Over Knives serve up delicious planet-friendly, vegan recipes from chefs and innovators.
To the Last Bite by Alexis de Boschnek
In America, more than 20% of all food waste comes from residential kitchens. Here’s how you can make a difference right now. Your guide to reducing waste in your kitchen with scores of practical, easy-to-follow tips and recipes.
The Sustainable Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Serena Ball, MS, RD & Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
A comprehensive guide to getting the most from the Mediterranean Diet, with 10 steps to a more eco-friendly kitchen including helpful guidance on more sustainable ingredient choices, energy-saving cooking methods, smarter storage, and food waste reduction. With beautiful, inspiring full-color photographs throughout, this cookbook is an indispensable resource for a climate-friendly kitchen.
Feasts on the Farm by Tamara Jo Hicks & Jessica Lynn MacLeod
From the famed Toluma Farms and its award-winning Tomales Farmstead Creamery: an irresistibly lush, illustrated collection of seasonal farm-to-table recipes paired with advocacy, education, and delicious inspiration
Attainable Sustainable Pantry by Kris Bordessa
With author and homesteader Kris Bordessa as your guide, you’ll learn how to meal prep more efficiently, reduce waste, cut out processed ingredients, and enjoy more homemade foods year-round, all from the bounty in your own cupboards.
This blog is part of a series tying in to our annual Health Fair, taking place in 1 week –
Saturday, November 8th, 1:00-4:00pm. Hope to see you there!
