1. Use lids
If you boil water for pasta, or are boiling potatoes, use the saucepan lid. The water reaches boiling point faster and you lose less heat in the process.
2. Defrost without a microwave
When you hear defrost, you automatically think of the microwave. But you can easily defrost without a microwave. Do you want to eat a steak tomorrow that’s currently in the freezer? Put it in the fridge the night before. When you want to cook the meat, it has already defrosted. Frozen vegetables don’t need to be defrosted. You can put them directly in the pan.
3. Steam or use less water
Steaming requires much less water to prepare vegetables. In addition, with some vegetables, more vitamins are retained by steaming instead of boiling. Using a little less water while cooking is also a saving.
4. Cooking with leftovers
Be aware of the contents of your fridge. Often leftovers are forgotten in the fridge and thrown away at the end of the week. But lots of vegetables can still be used in another dish. Or a soup can be spiced up with extra meatballs that you made from leftover minced meat.
5. Buy locally
Products from abroad have often travelled a long way, sometimes even by air. Local products cover far fewer kilometres and are often tastier, because they are fresh and harvested when perfectly ripe. What are your tips to cook more sustainable? Leave your ideas in the comments.