Do you have a new year’s resolution to reduce your waistline and/or carbon footprint? Are you looking for delicious, nutritious meals that are easy and efficient to make, contain ingredients you have on hand, and help reduce food waste? The good news is that there many savory, time and energy-saving recipes, as well as food saving solutions that can help you achieve these goals.

Shop for Locally Grown Produce

In late December, we visited our local farmers market to check out the winter produce selection. Happily, there was more than just cabbage. There was a delightful variety of winter veggies, including squash, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, peppers, green beans, lettuces, and more. There were also red and green apples, oranges, pomegranates, and some late season berries. Bay Area residents are fortunate to be near local farming regions that  grow a variety of seasonal crops, reducing the need for produce flown into stores from the southern hemisphere. Planning meals that take advantage of in-season, locally grown produce yields the tastiest, most affordable dishes.
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Easy, Tasty, Healthy Veggie Stews  & Soups

Making vegetable stews and soups is a great way to use up produce and pantry items to make warm, comfort food that is nutritious, tasty, easy to make, satisfying, and affordable.  These dishes can be made on the stove top or in a crockpot and are generally freezer friendly. Here is a recipe for a veggie curry stew that has plenty of flexibility for substituting ingredients for whatever fresh, frozen, and canned items you have on hand. This richly flavored stew with zesty seasonings and coconut milk can be served with rice, couscous, or other grain.  It is so filling and comforting that no one will be asking "Where's the beef?" It is a great way to kick-off Meatless Mondays. Eating more veggies and less meat is good for your health and for our planet. (Here is an infographic showing the Carbon Footprint of Food Supply Chain.)

Veggie Curry Stew

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Source: https://www.veganricha.com/pumpkin-chickpea-curry/

Try Cooking with Electricity Instead of Gas

Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that reducing food waste can help reduce harmful climate impacts?

  • When food is wasted, it also wastes ALL the energy, water, and resources used to produce that food as well as transport it to stores and make it to our kitchens.
  • 95% of the food tossed out in the United States ends up in the landfill, where it emits methane and contributes to global warming. Thanks to recent legislation, Californians are now putting more of their food debris and organics into bins for composting instead of landfill.  This reduces methane and landfill growth while saving cities money on landfill fees.  
  • Reducing food waste is something that we can all do, right now at home, and it doesn't require any technology or buying a thing.  

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 Source: https://stopfoodwaste.org/food-and-climate 

  • Start the year with these 5 easy tips to save food that can help you save money, make the most of your food, and reduce food waste.
  • Storing your fresh produce correctly is one of the easiest and best ways to keep it fresher, longer, and reduce wasted food. The Stop Food Waste – Storage guide provides helpful tips on best ways to store fresh produce.

 Wishing you a happy, healthy, sustainable new year!

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