No Waste, All Taste

Are you on a journey toward a more sustainable lifestyle? This can come in the form of using reusable items whenever you can, walking and biking to a nearby destination, or being more mindful of the amount of resources that we use. But did you know that there is one often overlooked area when we think of sustainable actions? It’s the kitchen!  

Zero-waste cooking, as its name suggests, is about having no waste left behind when cooking meals. Is it possible, you ask? Yes, it’s definitely doable, and we’re here to help you lessen your food waste. The best thing about zero-waste cooking is that it also helps you stay within budget.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle—when it comes to protecting the environment, you know these three Rs by heart. They are also important when it comes to zero-waste cooking.

You can reduce food waste by planning your meals and grocery shopping lists, thinking twice before eating out, cooking smaller portions to avoid excessive leftover portions, and storing perishable items correctly. You can reuse by making sure leftovers are in tight-sealed containers to make sure they don’t spoil or even trying new recipes with the leftovers if you don’t want to eat the same meal. You can recycle by composting food scraps instead of throwing them out.  

One key principle of zero-waste cooking is using all parts of the ingredient you’re using, whether its meat or vegetables. For meat, the nose-to-tail movement, or using all parts of the animal, has gained popularity in recent years, and you could take inspiration from Asian, European, and Latin American cuisines to see what you can prepare using even the parts deemed unpopular.

For vegetables, rethink how you can use the parts you might easily discard or see how else you can consume them if they are past their prime. Think purée for soups or smoothies, stir-fry, or even pesto sauce and kimchi. For fruits, how about incorporating them into desserts and other baked goods?

Create Leftover Masterpieces

Filipino cuisine offers a variety of ways in which we can get creative with our leftovers. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. 

Rice and shine with sinangag

Sinangag or garlic fried rice is a popular breakfast food among Filipinos. If you have     leftover steamed rice from your last meal, you can easily repurpose it into sinangag by     frying it with garlic. Here’s a starter recipe for sinangag, and you can build on this by     adding other ingredients, from eggs to leftover vegetables and meat. 

Leftover game on with lechon

Lechon is often a part of Filipino celebrations—including birthdays, weddings, and the     Christmas season. With all these celebrations, lechon is no stranger to the leftover list of      Filipino families. There are a variety of ways you can enjoy lechon leftovers! 

Okay ang okoy

Okoy or Filipino fritters that made with a glutinous rice batter and a variety of ingredients     that are all deep-fried. Okoy comes in different varieties—they can be made with shrimp,      fish, or even vegetables. If you have leftover vegetables in your fridge and don’t know     what to do with them, turning them into okoy is one of your best options. Here’s a starter     recipe for okoy, which you can add leftover vegetables to.

We know the journey to sustainable lifestyles can be quite overwhelming, but with the tips we’ve provided, we’re confident that it will be easy for you to start making small changes in the kitchen that will add up to reducing your environmental impact. Going zero-waste will make you be more mindful of meal preparations and the food you eat, so we know it will also nourish you in the process.