What makes a recipe greener?

Not sure how to be greener in the kitchen? We explain how to cook the green way.

Cooking affects the environment in many ways, largely because of the energy required to grow, transport and cook the ingredients.

There are ways to reduce this impact, either by changing which ingredients you buy or the way you cook them. When we talk about greener recipes, we mean one or more of the following.

Eat locally produced, seasonal food

The greenest thing to do is buy food that’s both seasonal and locally produced. We’ve got loads of delicious recipes that use seasonal food in spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Use local suppliers

Using local suppliers cuts down on food miles. So, for instance, when you’re cooking pork, use British pork. And use British heritage varieties of apple. See how Tesco is supporting local suppliers.

Use seasonal foods

Foods in season don’t require extra energy to make them grow – and when food is plentiful, it’s great value too. Check out our guides to what’s in season when.

Use less energy to cook

It’s asking a bit much to eat all your food uncooked. But there are ways to reduce the energy you need to make it. For instance, try cooking recipes on one ring or using one pot (check out our video guide to one-pot cooking). And some recipes can be prepared and eaten at room temperature.

Eat it all up

Some recipes can be made using leftovers, reducing the amount of food that is thrown away. Others provide several meals in one go – try our video guide to making five meals from one chicken.

Eat vegetarian

Vegetables use less energy to produce than meat. So eat vegetarian or vegan meals to reduce your environmental impact and lower your carbon footprint.

More tips on green cooking

There are lots of ways that you can make an individual recipe greener. Try these:

• Choose food that’s produced organically or sustainably. Tesco makes every effort to ensure it sources products sustainably.
• Even greener still, grow your own fruit and veg, especially if you turn your leftover food and other waste into your own compost.
• Put the lids on pans to use less energy when cooking.
• Make sure you use energy efficient appliances (see our video).
• Keep fruit and veg in the fridge so they last longer.
• If you have two ovens, use the smaller one to cook small amounts of food.