Home
»
Tagged: "
Thanksgiving
"
Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many. It's a time to eat, indulge and spend uninterrupted time with family. It's also a time for reflection. A time to think about what we're thankful for and a time to think about how the choices we make impact our families and the planet.
Although every day provides an opportunity for reflection and change, Thanksgiving stands out as the perfect day to kick off a few new habits that will effect the longevity of our planet. If each of us revamped our consumption and waste habits by slightly adjusting what's already in place, the overall impact could be huge.
Here are a few tips for the Thanksgiving holiday that will reduce our carbon footprint and help keep the planet healthy for generations to come.
1. Shop Local
Shop locally this Thanksgiving and lend your support to the little local business rather than the big box stores. Go for holiday supplies that don't need to travel far to get to your Thanksgiving table.
2. Buy Organic
Organic food typically requires 30-50 percent less energy during production than its conventional counterpart. Make the shift this Thanksgiving to a table with more organic food choices. Knowing that your food isn't sprayed with pesticides, chemicals or GMOs is enough reason to incorporate organic foods into your menu.
3. Turn the Heat Down
Watch your home heat up on its own as your Thanksgiving guests arrive and as the oven is turned on to warm the food. Rather than opening windows to cool off the space, remember to set the thermostat a few degrees lower before the celebration begins.
4. Don't Use Disposables
Make the switch to reusable napkins, skip the paper towels and pull out the good dishes this Thanksgiving. It's a bit more effort at the end of the evening, but it's worth it. Each person in the United States uses 749 pounds (340kg) of paper every year. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the pulp and paper industry may contribute to more global and local environmental problems than any other industry in the world. The industry is the third largest industrial emitter of global warming pollution.
5. Reduce the Amount You Buy
Reducing is the first of the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. When planning your Thanksgiving celebration, try making some slight alterations to your shopping list. Give some extra thought as to whether or not you truly need those items on your list and reduce the amount of food and decorations if possible.
6. Compost Table Scraps
Did you know that a typical household throws away an estimated 474 pounds of food waste each year? That means about 1.5 lbs. per person a day in the United States. Food scraps generated by all households in the U.S. could be piled on a football field more than five miles (26,400 feet) high. Compost those vegetable scraps and watch your garden thrive.
7. Fill Your Dishwasher Before Running
Fill your dishwasher to capacity before running a cycle. You'll end up saving water, energy and detergent.
8. Green Your Turkey
A Cornell study shows it takes 14 units of fossil fuel to produce a serving of turkey. If you're planning to have turkey, try to make it a little greener by purchasing it from a local market or farm. If the turkey is traveling a long distance to get to your table, that's adding to your carbon footprint. Best option -- skip the turkey!
9. Clean with Non-Toxic Cleaners
Make the switch to non-toxic cleaning products. When making the switch to green cleaning products, replace products you're currently using as they run out with a safer version. Take the time to research safer, non-toxic products and then make the switch.
10. Stay Local
According to USA Today, it's predicted that 24.6 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines domestically and internationally between November 21 and December 2 this year. That's a 1.5 percent increase from last year, or 31,000 more passengers on average a day. For many of us, traveling is a long-standing tradition and needed to visit with our family. Use this handy calculator from The Nature Conservancy to help you calculate the amount of carbon you emit and offer ways of offsetting those emissions.
If your plan is to drive, make sure your tires are fully inflated and your car has been properly serviced. This will help reduce your carbon emissions and improve your gas mileage.
1. Stuffed Butternut Squash
With a simple and nourishing ingredient list, this dish manages to be packed with flavor (one of the many benefits of eating in-season). It also happens to be a very pretty dish that would make a deliciously satisfying addition to your Thanksgiving table. Recipe here.
2. Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes
The concept is simple:
Baked sweet potatoes – cut in half to shorten cooking time
Seasoned, roasted chickpeas
Garlic-herb sauce
Parsley-tomato salad for garnish
The result is a 30-minute lunch or dinner that’s both satisfying, savory and sweet, and seriously healthy. Grab the recipe here and if you already have sweet potatoes on the menu? Make something similar with eggplant.
3. Grilled Chipotle Lime Cauliflower Steaks
These cauliflower "steaks" demonstrate that more than almost anything else we've grilled; their tongue-in-cheek name is a good indicator of how satisfying a centerpiece they make on any table. They're smoky and spicy, with a squirt of lime and flurry of cilantro. Get the spicy recipe here.
4. Potato and Green Garlic Crustless Quiche with Goat Cheese, Gruyère, and Chives
The quiche recipe is quite simple: cook up some vegetables, whip up a batter of eggs, milk, and flour, combine the two and add some cheese, bake, and voilà. Brunch. (Or lunch. Or dinner. Or all of the above.) Try the recipe yourself here.
5. Roasted Vegetable Galette
This savory galette is a wonderful lunch or snack for those who still wait for warm days. It's full of flavors and vitamins that we so much need during a long cold winter. Find the recipe here.
6. Roasted Fall Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza
Such an inventive way to get nutrients without feeling deprived! Also a great day-after-Thanksgiving treat. Snag the delicious, easy recipe here.
7. Acorn Squash with Walnuts & Cranberry
What says “fall” better than pumpkins and squash? They come in such a huge variety of colors, shapes and flavors these days! The addition of walnuts gives you an added boost of healthy oils, which are good for your cardiac health and help you lower cholesterol. Seriously, do you need more convincing? Try the recipe out here.
8. Roasted Cauliflower, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quiche with Quinoa Crust
The cauliflower and mushroom combo works amazingly well in this quiche and now you can enjoy the favorite combo for breakfast lunch and dinner! Enjoy the recipe here.
9. Chili Polenta Pie
Do you need a "pot pie challenge"? Cause this is the recipe for you.
10. Vegan Mushroom, Chestnut & Cranberry Tart
This tart is perfect for holidays – make it the day before and heat through once dinner’s nearly ready. If you can’t get wild mushrooms, use more chestnut ones. Try it out this year!
11. Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Tender, caramelized brussels sprouts with extra crispy tofu and brown rice, topped with an irresistible sweet-and-spicy glaze. This meal requires some prep work, but once you're ready, you can cook the rice, sprouts and tofu in about 30 minutes, while making the glaze in the meantime. For a simple side dish, roast 2+ pounds of sprouts and skip the rice and tofu. Find the recipe here.
12. “Ricotta” Stuffed Cabbage
This is the gluten free solution stuffed shells. You’ll notice this recipe also pasta-free but trust me – this “cheesy” cashew filling – tastes just as indulgent.
13. Roasted Eggplant with Cilantro-Almond Salsa
Serve this amazing eggplant with couscous, topped with a dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of salsa. Yummmmm! Try this recipe here.
14. Vegan Lentil & Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Forget the traditional style shepherd's pie and instead opt for this recipe on stuffed with deliciously seasoned lentils and veggies, and topped with a gorgeous, vitamin-packed sweet potato mash. It’s every bit as delicious as the original, but low in fat and high in protein, fiber, and nutrients. This shepherd’s pie is the perfect simple, economical, hearty dinner that the whole family will love.
15. Butternut Squash Alfredo Baked Shells
This Butternut Squash Alfredo Stuffed Shells recipe is made with a lighter alfredo sauce, and is perfectly sweet, savory, and delicious!
16. Autumn Root Vegetable Gratin with Herbs and Cheese
This classic dish, other than its near universal appeal, is that it is deceptively simple to make relative to its beauty. Plus, you can probably make it with what you have in your fridge and pantry right now. Try it out now!
17. Mushroom, Spinach and Scallion Tart
This vibrant recipe includes spinach leaves intermingle with roasted mushrooms in a light-as-air (and easy-to-assemble) phyllo shell. The custard-like filling comes together quickly in a blender.
18. Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Crispy Goat Cheese
The portobellos are lightly grilled and topped with a chunky homemade tomato sauce, sautéed spinach and shallot mixture, soft goat cheese, and topped with a crispy breadcrumb topping. They're hearty enough to be served on their own, with a simple salad or grain (such as quinoa or pasta!), or as a side dish. Try serving this recipe at the table.
19. Vegetarian Wellington with Seitan, Roasted Mushroom & Kale
Make this vegetarian wellington recipe for Thanksgiving and the turkeys of America will love you! And so will your guests. This welling is a puff pastry wrapping, stuffed with orange and fennel seed braised seitan, thyme roasted mushrooms and kale. All served with the best vegetarian gravy ever!
20. Butternut Squash-Kale Tart
Embrace the flavor of a sweet butternut squash with open arms and into a delicious tart mixed with kale and grated Gruyere. Try this recipe out this Thanksgiving.
21. Provolone and Mushroom Gratin
Cheesy potatoes get a whole new look with the addition of Provolone cheese, Portobello mushrooms and fresh thyme. Find the recipe here.
22. Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Lentil Salad
This roasted sweet potato and black lentil salad recipe is something easy to nosh throughout a meal or even while cooking! It's great served at room temperature and it’s vegan, simple and with the addition of scallions for sharpness and celery for crunch it makes a dish everyone will love.
It’s the ultimate foodie day: Thanksgiving! But here’s something we’re not thankful for: Many traditional Thanksgiving staples, such as cranberries, green beans, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens, rank among the top foods at risk for toxic pesticide residue, according to The Organic Center's new Dietary Risk Index. Make this year’s Thanksgiving your healthiest yet with organic foods, free from pesticides, GMOs, hormones, and antibiotics.
“The only real way to protect your family from [the risk of toxic pesticide residue] is to purchase organic foods, particularly those fruits and vegetables that pose the greatest risk," says The Organic Center board member Sara Snow. “The Dietary Risk Index makes it easy by clearly listing which foods those are.”
Show your love by buying as many organic ingredients as you can and using them in these delectable recipes. “By preparing an organic Thanksgiving, you’ll be providing your family with nutritious food that’s both good for you and for the planet,” says Snow.
Roast Turkey with Sage
A gorgeous centerpiece entree (see full turkey on previous frame). Look for organic and heritage turkeys, which are raised without hormones, antibiotics, or additives. View recipe.
Herbed Bread and Vegetable Stuffing
This vegetable-studded stuffing adds flavor and nutrients to a typically bread-heavy dish. Use organic, sprouted bread for even more texture. View recipe.
Fresh Spinach-Artichoke Baked Dip
Enjoy this lightened version of the classic artichoke dip appetizer—and be sure to use organic spinach. View recipe.
Goat Cheese Tart with Marinated Beets and Arugula
Conventionally grown beets are often genetically modified (GMO); avoid this by buying organic beets for this lovely, light appetizer or starter course. View recipe.
Parsnip and Fennel Puree
It's not Thanksgiving without some version of mashed potatoes! This sophisticated version adds natural sweetness with organic parsnips and fennel. View recipe.
Kibbeh with Apples, Walnuts, and Feta
This vegetarian, Mediterranean-inspired entree will please everyone at the table; you can also make it one day ahead. To avoid rBGH, use organic yogurt for the delicious, dill-infused sauce. View recipe.
Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish
Easy and tangy, this refreshing cranberry relish features organic orange peel for a bright finish. View recipe.
Apple-Cranberry Lattice Pie
Organic apples, an early symbol of the organic movement, combine beautifully with lemon and cranberries in this seasonal dessert. View recipe.
Fig Pie
This novel, savory-sweet dessert features juicy, fresh figs; it's wonderful paired with fresh goat cheese. View recipe.
Cranberry Squash Pie
An Ayurvedic-inspired finale to your organic feast; the ingredients promote peacefulness because they're free of caffeine and strong spices. View recipe.
