Sustainable Food Recipes

Article written by Fion Ho

Edited by Delia Claudette Dumpangol

Sustainable eating is about choosing food that is plant – based, not harmful to the environment and healthy for our bodies. Eating sustainably involves eating less meat especially red meat and processed meat. When you are buying meat, have a look if it has a label to show if it’s sustainable.

Classic Tomato Spaghetti

Tomatoes are considered as a sustainable fruit because they don’t have a big impact on the environment; it would be better to support the local markets to buy locally planted tomatoes instead. Tomatoes also have a relatively low carbon footprint and low water footprint, which makes them more sustainable compared to other foods. 

Ingredients:

•  Fresh Basil leaves
• 4 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 pound spaghetti 
• a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Pluck out the basil leaves from the stems and chop them into pieces. Leave a few chopped pieces for garnishing.
2. Rinse the tomatoes and chop them into tiny pieces.
3. Heat the saucepan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil together with the onions. Then saute for a few minutes. 
4. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. 
5. Add the tomatoes and vinegar in, let it simmer for a while
6. Season with a little sea salt and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. 
7. Stir in the basil leaves that have been chopped and reduce to low heat. 
8. Meanwhile, boil some water in another pot with salt, then put in the spaghetti and stir until it is soft enough to eat (al dente)
9. Drain the water from the pasta and keep a cup of the pasta water to mix in the sauce mix if it feels thick.
10. Toss the pasta into the sauce mixture, mix well.
11. After it’s done, sprinkle the reserved basil leaves on top of the pasta.
12. Enjoy!!!!!

Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Honey Salad dip

Locally grown food is considered better for the environment in terms of sustainability. If you buy local fruit, you are saving resources. 

Ingredients:

• Grapes, Guavas, Pineapples, Papayas, 

Watermelons

• 10 long wooden skewers
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 5 tablespoon salad dressing of your

 choice 

Method:

1. Wash all the fruits and cut them into cubes.
2. Thread the fruits through the skewers according to the rainbow colours.
3. In a bowl, mix the salad dressing with honey.
4. Serve the fruit skewers with the salad honey dip. 

Classic Tuna Sandwich 

When buying canned tuna, we should look for tuna with a MSC label which has been up to the MSC standard. Eggs have the lowest carbon footprint of common animal protein sources. 

Ingredients:

• 1 canned tuna (MSC labelled) 
• 1 hard – boiled egg, chopped
• ½  tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 tomato, cut in slices
• Lettuce

Method:

1. Mix the canned tuna, chopped egg, lemon juice and mayonnaise together in a bowl. 
2. Line 8 slices of bread with lettuce and tomato. Top each with ¼ of tuna mix and cover it with another slice of bread.

Eating sustainably can benefit your health and help the environment. It can help reduce illnesses or viruses that may come from pesticides. Furthermore, it cuts  down the usage of transport fuel from factories if you buy food from the local market instead.