Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. There is no additional cost to you whatsoever.
When you reside a busy life-style, it’s comprehensible that you just’d depend on the comfort of prepackaged meals or takeout meals a minimum of a number of instances per week. However, these handy meals have a draw back: the packaging.
Restaurants and different companies that supply meals to go typically package deal it in hard-to-recycle polystyrene foam containers and plastic clamshells. Or, with a nod to the surroundings, they may provide compostable containers that received’t biodegrade in your yard compost. (Those containers require a commercial composting facility that’s geared up to deal with them.) In reality, even usually recyclable packaging like cardboard can’t be recycled if it’s contaminated with food. To add to the packaging conundrum, recyclable plastics are manufactured from nonsustainable petroleum — and processing these recyclables consumes power on the recycling plant.
The perfect resolution is to remove all disposable packaging fully — one supply at a time.
If you’re prepared to interchange these packaged meals with your individual wholesome, fast meals, listed here are some concepts to get you began.
This article comprises affiliate hyperlinks. If you buy an merchandise by certainly one of these hyperlinks, we obtain a small fee that helps fund our Recycling Directory.
Replace Taco Meat With Quinoa & Chili Beans
You would possibly suppose beef tacos are scrumptious, however they’re not environmentally pleasant.
The meat business has a devastating impact on the environment. For instance, scientists have discovered that methane (cow flatulence) plays a large role in warming oceans. Raising cattle requires huge water and crop assets, and biodiversity takes successful when a area is transformed into farmland.
On the opposite hand, quinoa doesn’t trigger hurt to the surroundings, requires minimal irrigation to develop, and is available in nearly each grocery retailer. Quinoa is a protein-dense plant-based food containing 11 amino acids. Although it’s technically a seed, it appears to be like and seems like a small grain.
Recipe: Quick Quinoa & Bean Taco Filling
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw quinoa
- 2 cups of water
- 1 can seasoned chili beans
- Cumin (seeds or floor) to style
- Salt & pepper to style
Instructions
To put together the quinoa, deliver the water to a boil and stir within the quinoa. Cover the pot, cut back the warmth, and simmer the quinoa till the liquid has been absorbed (about 20-25 minutes).
Next, add a can of your favourite chili beans to the combination to make it flavorful and chunky. Add cumin seeds or floor cumin to your combination if you need extra chili taste. You’ll doubtless discover that cumin seed provides a more intense flavor than floor cumin.
Add the combination to taco shells, add your toppings and scorching sauce, and revel in wholesome, planet-friendly meatless tacos. Store the remainder of the combination in a glass container within the fridge and also you’ll have a fast technique to make tacos for a number of days.
Make Meals You Can Enjoy Cold
If you don’t have time to warmth up your meals, make giant batches of dishes that style nice chilly. You can portion recipes like this zesty potato salad into Mason jars and stash them within the fridge. Many pre-made dishes you retailer this fashion shall be good for a minimum of three to 5 days after you make them.
Recipe: Zesty Dill Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 8 medium-sized crimson potatoes
- 1 cup chopped, uncooked cabbage
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup black olives
- 1 cup chopped chives
- 1 cup chopped Italian parsley
- Mayonnaise to style (or Greek yogurt in case you don’t like mayo)
- Stone-ground mustard to style
- 1 cup pickle relish
- Fresh dill weed to style (dried is okay)
- Pepper to style
Instructions
Cook your potatoes in accordance with your desire: boiled, steamed, simply get these taters smooth!
In a big bowl, whisk your mayo, mustard, and pickle relish collectively. When the potatoes are performed, cube them up and add them to the combination. Add the cabbage, celery, olives, chives, and parsley. Season your combination with dill and pepper to style.
Transfer the potato salad into wide-mouth Mason jars and place within the fridge to relax. When you want a fast chunk, you possibly can seize your potato salad and eat it proper out of the jar.
Try Some Dairy-Free Recipes
Why are extra folks eliminating dairy from their food regimen? Aside from lactose intolerance and animal welfare considerations, the dairy business has a significant carbon footprint. Manufacturers are addressing client considerations about dairy by providing all kinds of plant-based milk alternatives.
There are loads of tasty recipes that don’t require any dairy by any means. GoDairyFree’s rice and vegetable bowl with lemon herb sauce and raw pesto zucchini roll-ups are simply two examples. If you’re searching for a fast aspect dish, do this recipe for rosemary mashed root vegetables from GoDairyFree.
Recipe: Rosemary Mashed Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 candy potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 white potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
- 8 child carrots or 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage (like almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon recent, finely chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt, to style
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Boil the candy potatoes, white potatoes, and carrots collectively for about 20 minutes. Drain the water from the pot. Place the veggies right into a bowl and add the milk, rosemary, chives, salt, and pepper. Mash the whole lot collectively or mix with a hand mixer till creamy.
Enjoy some now and portion the remaining out into reusable stainless steel lunch containers for the week.
Preplan Your Quick Meals for the Week
Once you begin prepping your fast meals forward of time, you’ll get into the groove and it’ll turn out to be second nature. You can dedicate a few hours on the finish of every week to prep your meals for the upcoming week.
For secure and sustainable food storage, you could have a lot of choices. Whether you reuse glass jars or purchase long-lasting reusable containers which might be straightforward to seize and go, you possibly can take pleasure in your meal understanding that you just’ve eradicated all that meals packaging waste. And as you eat your do-it-yourself meals, every tasty chunk shall be a reminder that you just’re not solely maintaining a healthy diet, however you’re doing all of your half to eat a extra sustainable diet.
Originally printed on October 7, 2019, this text was up to date in July 2021.
