Green Your Cooking: Stop Short

What you eat and how far your food travels to get to you are important considerations, but it’s also a good idea to think about how you cook your meals; by doing so, you can reduce your energy use -- and your meals will taste great too.

Tip #1: Stop Short

Cooking instructions often seem like unbreakable codes. If it says 10 minutes, it means 10 minutes, right? Not necessarily: Once you heat up your oven or pot, they retain heat well. So consider turning the oven or stove off several minutes before the timer rings. Your food will keep cooking and you’ll cut down on energy use. It’s even possible to bring water to a boil, put pasta in, cover it, turn off the stove, and go for a walk. When you get back, your pasta will be ready.

Share your tips: How do you save energy while cooking?