Cooking and Eating Sustainably: What Does That Mean?

Many of us try to live more sustainably, even when it feels overwhelming. At the recent Social Justice Showcase, some of you visited the Dayenu Circle booth to learn about actions you can take to reduce your environmental impact.

Caring for our planet is a core Jewish value, and cooking and eating sustainably are two areas in which every individual and family can make meaningful choices. But what does “eating sustainably” actually mean?

It’s a big umbrella that includes the food we choose, how it is grown and processed, where it comes from, how we cook it, and how we manage food waste. Each of these areas offers opportunities for us to be more — or less — sustainable. With Earth Day coming up in April, this is a great moment to take a small step forward to do your part to protect the planet. Below are some ideas on sustainability for you to consider:

THE FOOD WE CHOOSE
What we eat affects the planet.

• Vegan and vegetarian meals generally have a smaller environmental footprint and can also make keeping kosher easier for some households. 
• When eating meat or poultry, sourcing from small or local farms rather than factory farms can reduce environmental harm.
• Choosing sustainable seafood helps protect ocean ecosystems.

(Consider attending one of the upcoming Beth Am Vegan Challenge meetings in March or April.)

HOW FOOD IS GROWN AND PROCESSED
The way food is produced matters.

• Locally grown or locally made foods usually require less transportation and energy.
• Organic farming, which limits pesticide use, can be healthier for the land and water.
• Less-processed foods typically use less energy, machinery, and packaging, all of which reduce environmental impact.

WHERE WE GET OUR FOOD
Convenience often comes with a cost.

• Cooking at home usually has a lower environmental impact than eating out or ordering takeout, because you have control over ingredients and are avoiding packaging waste.
• Food delivery services increase emissions from transportation and use lots of plastics.
• food that travels long distances adds to its climate footprint. When possible, buying seasonal and local — even for a few items — makes a difference.

HOW WE COOK OUR FOOD
Our cooking methods matter, too.

• Cooking with electricity instead of fossil fuels reduces emissions, especially in California, where much of our electricity comes from renewable sources.
• While many cooks like gas stoves for their responsiveness, they do burn fossil fuels and emit fumes in your home that can irritate the respiratory system.
• Induction cooking is highly efficient and nearly as responsive as gas, making it a compelling alternative.

HOW WE MANAGE FOOD WASTE
Reducing food waste has one of the biggest climate benefits.

• Composting food scraps keeps them out of landfills, where they produce greenhouse gases.
• Recycling containers and packaging properly helps reduce waste.
• At Beth Am, compostable items go into the black trash bins, where they are salvaged and sorted offsite. Blue bins are for clean paper, plastics, and metals.

If this feels like a lot, take a breath. Jewish tradition reminds us in Pirkei Avot: “It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” We don’t have to fix everything — but we do have to try. We invite you to take one step.

• Consider attending one of the upcoming Beth Am Vegan Challenge meetings in March or April. For more information, contact buildinghealthycommunity@betham.org.
• Attend our Earth Day Erev Shabbat service* on Friday, April 17 at 6:15 PM (in the Sanctuary or livestream).
• Try out induction cooking by borrowing one of our induction burner loaner kits — complete with cookware — for a month. To arrange a loan, contact Dayenu@betham.org.

Whatever you choose, we hope you’ll do something. And, if you’ve found a sustainable practice that works for you, let us know — we’d love to learn from you. Email us at Dayenu@betham.org.

Check out Adamah's Purim sustainability tips.
*This service will be live video-streamed. By entering the Sanctuary, you permit Beth Am to record you.