Photo: Anna Pusack

During my senior year in college, I took a Social Philosophy class in which we read Bill McKibben’s Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. In this book, McKibben discusses sustainability at length, and embarks on an experiment in which he eats nothing but locally-grown food for a year.

In the ensuing years, I have learned a lot about sustainable cuisine. Now I am a mother, and I feel it is my duty to teach my son about this, as well. It’s not always easy to engage a three-year-old in adult lifestyle choices, but I am making headway. 

What is sustainable cuisine?

There is no simple definition of sustainable cuisine. There are no recipes, nor are there foods that are taboo. Rather, sustainable cuisine is a long-term effort to lessen your carbon footprint by buying locally-grown, seasonal foods. This includes buying food items that are raised (in the case of poultry, beef, and other farm animals) or caught (in the case of seafood) in an ethical and sustainable manner; cooking in a manner that is environmentally responsible and making an effort to not waste food. This can be done in a number of different ways.

Repeat the phrase, “Buy local, eat seasonal.”

Eating locally not only stimulates the local economy, strengthens communities, and keeps small farms in business, but also ensures you’re eating fresh food that has not been frozen, preserved, or otherwise desecrated. Food begins to lose nutrients as soon as it is harvested, so locally grown food is more nutritionally complete. Food that is grown locally doesn’t have to be shipped cross-country, which means that it is fresher, and that a truck didn’t burn unnecessary fossil fuels in order to bring it to your produce section. Finally, food that is eaten in the appropriate season has more nutrients and flavor than food that isn’t.

There are many options to make this a reality. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups are local farms that allow consumers to pay an annual or monthly fee in exchange for weekly deliveries of fresh food. Farmers will usually allow visitors, so bring your kids along! This is an excellent way to teach your children the importance of buying local, while making it fun. Another option is to grow your own vegetable garden, which teaches your child responsibility, both in sustainable living and in food consumption.

Show your kids how to buy food that has been raised, caught or grown in an ethical, sustainable manner.

Store shelves are full of products that claim to be organic or free range. However, you should never settle for packaging claims if you don’t have to. Ask your grocer pointed questions about the use of pesticides in the produce, and where and how your meat or seafood was raised, caught, and slaughtered. If he or she doesn’t answer your questions to your satisfaction, use your clout as a customer to encourage them to find the answers, and make ethical buying decisions.

If you do this while your children are present—as I am wont to do, seeing as I’m a single mom and my son goes everywhere with me—you not only teach your children the importance of making healthy, ethical choices, but you teach them to think critically, and to not be afraid to stand up for what they believe. This may not seem like all that big of a deal, but if everyone teaches their children these lessons, we will raise a strong generation that will lead our world into a better, more sustainable future.

Prepare your food with the kids in a way that is environmentally-responsible.

This can be done in a number of ways. By choosing appliances that are energy-efficient, you lessen your carbon footprint. By planning ahead, you can prepare your meals in a more efficient manner, thus using less energy, as well. Finally, the adage, “Waste not, want not,” applies here: only cook what you know you will eat, and eat everything you prepare, and use leftovers whenever possible.

Allow your children to participate in this process, and everyone will reap the benefits. Encourage them to help choose recipes that match the ingredients in your pantry. Let them help cook the meal. If there are leftovers, show them the best way to store them for future consumption, and then send them on a leftover scavenger hunt for a mystery meat stew or some other creative recipe. The point is to get them involved, from start to finish! This will not only be fun for you and yours, but it will teach them healthy eating habits and the important role that food plays in our world.

I recently moved into a new house and had to buy all new appliances. I knew that I would be shopping at hhgregg, so I visited their page, and I was delighted to find a “Learning Center” page which educated me about various products that were energy efficient and environmentally friendly. I learned about induction stovetops and double ovens, both of which are energy efficient. Reid and I spent a fun afternoon at the store, and I let him “help” me choose our new stove; in the end, I went with the induction stovetop, both because of its energy efficiency and because I usually only cook for my son and I.

Bill McKibben has been quoted as saying, “Local is the new organic,” meaning that it is becoming fashionable to buy local. However, I would caution against treating this like a fad, as fads come and go. Sustainable living should be a permanent lifestyle choice that affects every aspect of your life. By making this commitment, you are creating a better future for your children, and for their children as well.