My tips for sustainable cooking (incl. recipe)

You will find more on sustainable cooking, tips and my favourite sustainable recipe in this blog post. Do you have your own tips on sustainable cooking? I’d love to hear about them!

It’s impossible to imagine society without thinking about sustainability anymore. Companies can no longer ignore this nowadays and promote every sustainable change that they make.

At Amanprana, we are also contributing (as one of the five Belgian pioneering companies) by advising the Belgian FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment federal department on the development of digital tools for biodiversity, amongst other things.

I’m also doing my bit. For example, I’m a vegetarian and regularly eat vegan. Seitan from Bertyn fits perfectly into all of this! Incidentally, did you know that it is very easy to fool even the most fervent carnivores with Bertyn’s seitan? ? Try my recipe at the bottom of this blog!

I love their new seitan burger instant mix – ideal for a quick meal! Not only can you make quick and easy seitan burgers with this vegan mix, but also plenty of other meat substitutes. Side note: Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for recipes and vega inspiration. The instant protein vegan mix also features sustainable packaging and is made from organic ingredients.

There are significant advantages to eating seitan from Bertyn compared to eating meat. I’ll sum up a few for you: Bertyn seitan is more sustainable, higher in protein, lower in carbohydrate and lower in fat than meat or fish. An absolute protein champion compared to fish and meat. And there’s no cruelty to animals involved!

7 Tips for sustainable cooking and eating

1. Eat less meat and fish and go for plant-based alternatives
   The meat and fish on our plates have a high environmental impact. Red meat (beef, pork, goat and sheep) in particular are extremely damaging to the environment. This is why you should replace animal protein with plant-based proteins such as seitan. Replace meat products that you use on bread with roasted veggies, hummus or other plant-based spreads.
   
2. Do not use any more dairy or cheese than you need
   In particular, eating a lot of cheese has a high environmental impact. That is why you should regularly add vegetables, fruit, hummus or nut spreads to your sandwiches.
   Try a plant-based milk, such as almond milk, rice milk, oat drink …. instead of cow’s milk. Really delicious and much better for the environment and your health.
   
3. Opt for wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables
   When preparing your meal, be sure to choose plant-based products. For instance, wholegrain cereals, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, legumes, and a handful of nuts every day and vegetable oils. Most plant-based products have a low climate impact.
   
4. When choosing fruit and vegetables, pay attention to their source and season
   Fruit and vegetables have a low environmental impact. If you choose seasonal products and keep an eye on their source, then you are really doing well when it comes to going green. Choose vegetables that have a lower environmental impact all year round. Think of broccoli, red cabbage, leek, beetroot, onion, carrots, chicory and celery. Non-European products brought in by airplanes have a higher environmental impact. This is also true in the case of vegetables from heated greenhouses.
   It’s also lovely and delicious to have your own herb garden on your terrace or in hanging pots. Aside from the fact that herbs from your own garden have much more flavour, growing your own herbs is also better for the environment. It reduces the need for a lot of plastic packaging and the amount of energy needed to grow and transport herbs and plants.
   
5. Waste as little energy as possible
   Keep the lids on your pots and pans as much as possible. This leads to 2 to 3 times lower levels of energy use. Do not use too much water when you cook. A small layer of water – to prevent it from boiling dry – is all you need. More vitamins are also preserved as a result.
   Choose a smaller pan. Smaller surfaces lead to less heat loss.
   Do not turn up the flames too high when you are cooking on gas. If you cook on medium or low heat, it will take a little longer for your food to be ready, but you will save 45 to 80% on energy.
   
6. Waste as little food as possible
   If you buy, cook and store in a smart way, you won’t have to throw away as much food. Then food will not go to waste. Make a shopping list and a weekly menu, it helps to buy wisely.
   Smell, taste and see beyond the expiry date. Did you know that ‘Best before’ (THT) date indicates the date which the producer or seller of food products guarantees the condition and quality of a product? Very often you can still eat these products no problem after this date.
   
7. Separating waste
   This is also something you can train yourself to do. Make sure you throw plastic into the plastic waste bins and throw vegetable, fruit and garden waste in the green container. This doesn’t take much effort. In any event, always opt for sustainable and compostable packaging and avoid plastic. Go for water in reusable glass bottles. No plastics!

Sustainable cooking with this seitan recipe

Below, you’ll find my favourite sustainable recipe with protein vegan mix from Bertyn. This recipe is suitable for 3 people if you serve it as a main course (you can also serve it as a vega appetizer/snack) and it takes about 20 minutes to make.

Recipe for Vegan seitan balls in tomato sauce

What do you need for vegan balls in tomato sauce?

• 1 bag of Bertyn seitan burger mix (150 g) (click for sales outlets)
• 120 – 150 ml water
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped raw onion

How do you make vegan balls in tomato sauce with seitan?

1. Put the contents of the sachet in a bowl, add the flat-leaf parsley and onion.
2. Mix well, then add 120 – 150 ml of water
3. Knead it briefly until you have a ball of dough
4. Divide the dough into 6 balls (do not knead them or they will become too chewy)
5. Fry the balls in extra virgin olive oil in a small pan on low heat with the lid on the pan
6. Make sure they brown nicely on all sides and let them cook for a while
7. Add your favourite tomato sauce and keep cooking the balls in the sauce

My favourite tomato sauce is from Bio Orto and is available at amanvida.eu. Do you have any of your own tips for sustainable food and cooking? Share them with us here below!

Warm culinary greetings Chantal x