Easy eco-friendly meals

Really. It's easy! And it's not just about eating your veggies or buying organic.

Marta Waller
KTLA News

January 17, 2008

As we become more aware of the need to be eco-friendly in our everyday lives, one area that's often overlooked is mealtime. But, creating an eco- friendly meal is easier than you might think. And, it's not just about eating your veggies or buying organic. A few simple changes in your everyday routine can make you a little more environmentally aware.

The first step is to begin by making a list of everything you need before you head out to do your shopping. That way, you're making only one trip to the store instead of several. You'll immediately see a savings on fuel, wear and tear on your car, and probably on your nerves, too.

When you do make that trip to the market, take your own re-useable shopping bag instead of the paper or plastic offered at the checkout stand. Nearly every store offers them and you may even have a canvas or burlap bag lying around the house that will do just fine. Neither paper nor plastic is a very good choice for bagging groceries. Here's why: it takes 11 gallons of crude oil to produce one ton of plastic bags, and 17 trees to make one ton of paper bags. Only one percent of plastic bags are recycled and surprisingly, only 20 percent of paper bags ever gets recycled.

Another eco-friendly tip has you shopping in the fresh air. Head out the your local farmer's market to buy your produce. You're supporting local growers, and helping to cut down on the use of fuel because the produce isn't being flown in from other countries or trucked in from other states. And, you get to spend some quality time checking out the locally-produced goods.

Picnics are popular, and then there are the nights when the thought of doing dishes is exhausting. So, you turn to the paper plates and plastic utensils. But, before you put out all that plastic, check this out. You can even go green with your tableware and cutlery. There are recyclable, biodegradable, reusable, and even compostable plates. Some are even recycled and reusable. A little bit of something for everyone.

You can buy recycled cups, paper towels and napkins. The meal is complete. And you haven't hurt the environment at all.

So, wouldn't you at least try going greener if it was really this simple?

Here are some links to help you get started on your quest to go greener

http://www.recycline.com/

http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/