Mindful Eating: 13 Eco-Friendly Recipes

We all know we should be doing our part to save the planet. But what does that mean when it comes to food? It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the different eco-friendly choices. Here are 15 eco-friendly recipes to help you get started on your sustainable living journey. 

Did you know that your kitchen consumes a third of the energy used in your home? And much of it is due to cooking. As a registered dietitian and busy mom, I spend most of my time in the kitchen. Therefore, I’ve had to get creative in order to prepare my favourite meals in an environmentally responsible manner.

We all have a duty to look after planet Earth, so one approach is incorporating more eco-friendly recipes into our diet. Because when we eat sustainable foods, we reduce our carbon footprint and help preserve the planet for future generations.

What’s more, by eating more whole food plant based dishes (WFPB), we are also doing our bodies a favour. WFPB recipes are not only eco-friendly but they are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that help support our immune system and protect us from chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancers.

So if you’re looking to take steps toward sustainable living, start with these eco-friendly recipes. They are delicious, good for the planet and many of them are also diabetes diet friendly and heart smart as well.

1. Quinoa Mung Bean Salad

Eating more pulses, like beans, is a powerful way to care for the environment. Pulses are a low carbon footprint food, meaning that farmers need to add little or no nitrogen fertilizer. What’s more, pulses use half to one-third of the water it takes to produce other protein sources.

2. Massaged Kale Salad With Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Kale is regarded as a sustainable crop since there are no known long-term impacts on the environment, such as air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. – as long as pesticides have not been used.

3. Black Bean & Sweet Potato Vegetarian Kebabs

By eating less meat, you’re helping to slash water usage drastically because taking care of animals for meat and dairy is incredibly water-intensive.

4. Easy Fluffy Pancakes

Cut food wastage and save money by using over-ripened food, such as bananas, in baking.

5. Air Fryer Eggplant and Chickpeas Salad

Can you believe it’s made from leftovers? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food wastage is the number one material sent to landfills and incinerators, which is more than plastic and metal combined. The EPA encourages us to use leftovers and compost because “Decomposing food in landfills emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas that causes climate change.”

6. Green Smoothie With Wheatgrass

Did you know the water footprint of cow’s milk is more than three times that of soy milk -1,050 litres compared to 297 litres, according to a Dutch study published in 2012? Replacing cow’s milk with soy milk would be a wise choice for water preservation and a positive way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

7. Superfood Vegetarian Chili

Cooking in bulk is a great way to be more eco-friendly. I double (even treble) this recipe and freeze it to reduce water and energy usage in my kitchen.

8. DIY Lacto-Fermented Mixed Vegetables

Incorporate more gut healing foods into your diet to boost your gut health and reduce the need for stovetop or oven energy. For something a little different, try my DIY Lacto-Fermented Mixed Vegetables recipe to give your body some much-needed probiotics.

9. Gluten free Quinoa Vegetable Pilau

Traditionally pilau is made with Basmati rice, which requires a lot of fossil fuels to get to your plate. It’s a type of long grain rice, the husk of which is removed, and then it goes through the second stage of processing to polish it. This Quilau is certainly an eco-friendly option.

10. Pumpkin-Bean Burger With Chilli Avocado Mash

We make an effort to buy seasonal local produce, such as pumpkins. Food that’s travelled across the world to get to your plate has a much higher impact on the environment; more energy is needed to transport, refrigerate and store, as well as more packaging to ensure freshness.

11. Kala Chana Chaat (Black Chickpea Salad)

Cutting your food into smaller pieces – as a strategy to reduce cooking time is a good way to minimize energy usage in your kitchen. What’s more, you’ll save on time and bills and manage to feed your hungry family a lot faster.

12. Chickpea Kale Curry with Spaghetti Squash

Being a “rainfed” crop, chickpeas don’t require significant amounts of water, and like other legumes, they enhance soil health by fixing nitrogen. This can favour crop rotation, meaning a more sustainable model of agriculture.

13. Easy Lemon Pepper Salmon

Using sustainable seafood gives me peace of mind that the seafood I enjoy is certified wild and can be traced back to the fishery it came from. You can learn more about mindful eating and sustainable choices in my recent Huffpost article. This sheet pan wonder is the easiest fish recipe you’ll ever make. It’s flaky, juicy, and tangy, and you won’t believe how incredible it tastes.

What are some of your best tips for eco-friendly cooking? Have you tried any of these recipes? How do you practice mindful eating? Share with me in the comments below.

If you try these recipes, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate them, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! I can’t wait to see your photos.