10 Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner Tips
Tip #1: Gobble only pasture-raised turkeys
If it was good enough for pilgrims, pasture-raised turkeys should be good enough for you. And these are the healthiest and most eco-friendly turkeys for your table at any time of the year.
Tip #2: Forgo indoor settings, eat outdoors
Plan a celebration at a park picnic area and you will reduce the electrical use and cost of lights, heat or air on Thanksgiving Day.
Tip #3: Play pilgrim, cook on an open fire
Create an adventure for the kids while enjoying the smell of smoked turkey in the great outdoor environment by cooking on an open fire.
Tip #4: Choose creative table decorations
Skip the plastic and high-dollar table decor. Let youth round up pine straw, bright-colored leaves, berries, and nuts from autumn surroundings for an inexpensive centerpiece display.
Tip #5: Skip the dishwasher, use a stream
Thanksgiving clean up can be as authentic a practice for us as it was for our forefathers by choosing to eat your meal near a stream this year and using it for cleaning dishes afterward.
Tip #6: Buy less packaged products
Use food from your own garden or someone else’s this year instead of purchasing items in a package or can. It will cut down on processing plant energy uses and waste in landfills.
Tip #7: Carpool with relatives to reduce emissions, gas
Thanksgiving is all about being with friends and family and what better way than by carpooling to grandma’s house, where you can reduce auto emissions and cut down on gas expenses at the same time?
Tip #8: Serve foods that don’t require cooking
Fresh fruits and some vegetables don’t require cooking in order to be enjoyed with your holiday meal, so include these to reduce the time you spent cooking this year if you are using a stove indoors.
Tip #9: Go organic
Choose organic foods for your table and cut out the destructive use of pesticides and chemicals that you nor the environment really need.
Tip #10: Be generous to others
You have to get rid of leftovers somehow, so why not just invite others to eat with your family so there isn’t any food left? There’s always at least one person with nowhere to go on Thanksgiving. Invite them.
