If you’ve read Green in BKLYN’s blog before, you may already be familiar with our intern, Cristina.  Every once in a while she’ll drop in to share Green Tips & eco-friendly info.  Today, she’s checking in on how to eat sustainably…

Eating sustainably & healthier can seem a little tough at times, but there are really simple ways to do so while making a significant difference in your carbon footprint. Here are some easy tips that you can do:

• Buy loose greens instead of bagged or boxed greens – you’ll use zero packaging.
• Soak beans & grains over night – it cuts the cooking time in half, thus saving energy & money.
• Make your own seltzer – it keeps bottles out of the landfill & reduces the amount of energy used to make, ship & recycle those bottles.  Try Green in BKLYN’s SodaStream Seltzer Makers. They rock!
• Buy local – you can find a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)  or Food Co-op near you at the Eat Well Guide or at Local Harvest.  Or, if you’re in the neighborhood, check out our new local food co-op, the Green Hill Food Co-op .
• Read PLU codes- if the number on the sticker at the supermaket starts with 9, then the item is organic.
• Use healthier pots & pans (& ice cube trays) – traditional non stick pans contain carcinogenic chemicals (such as PTFE & PFOA) in the coating & plastic or aluminum ice cube trays contain BPAs or aluminum, respectively.  Cook with pots & pans made from stainless steel, pure cast iron or enamel coasted cast iron & Green in BKLYN has ice cube trays made from stainless steel.  No BPAs & no aluminum!
• Switch to organic olive oil – most mass produced olive oil is grown with pesticides which can be even more concentrated in the oil than in the olives.
• Use natural wax paper – use it instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It’s compostable, reusable when wiped down & can be fastened down with masking tape. Or, if you’re wrapping up snack & sandwiches for lunch, use a Green in BKLYN Snack Taxi.  They’re washable, reusable & cute!
• Get glass containers – keeping track of which plastics are safer (#s 2, 4 & 5) & which are more likely to release toxic phthalated, styrene or BPAs when heated or warm (#3, 6 & 7) can be confusing. Use as little plastic in the kitchen as possible.  Green in BKLYN has tempered glass & stainless steel containers.  Or, if you must have plastic, we have (safe, BPA-free) #5 plastic containers made from recycled plastics.
• Buy in-season – buying produce off-season means that it’s more than likely covered in pesticides & shipped half way around the world, burning fossil fuels & disrupting nature’s course.  Buy produce when it’s in season & uy in bulk. Freeze it, pickle it or preserve it, so you can still eat your favorites off season.  Green in BKLYN has a some great books on preserving (Canning for a New Generation), safe meats (Good Meat) & sustainable food practices (Food Heroes) as well as organic gardening (The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener & The Complete Flower Gardener).

With a little time, energy & practice, eating more sustainably & more healthy is possible, easy &, of course, very tasty!