Living 'green' has been a habit for most of my life if that means being frugal, consolidating processes and not wasting anything. Doing more with less in other words.

Today I just use a microwave oven and a glass bowl with a microwave safe plastic lid which makes it perfect for storing leftovers too (I have an electric stovetop which is never used). I buy 'fresh' meat (most is actually still thawing when I buy it) in cheaper bulk 'family packs', generally chicken parts, which is then divided up into plastic containers before freezing. Every night one container goes from the freezer to the fridge to defrost for the next day. Canned tuna and salmon supplement the fresh meat and are also good for emergencies/power outages. Shopping trips are usually just a stop on the way home from somewhere else about once a week.

First I trim any fat off the meat and cook it plain or with a can of soup tossed in or with garlic salt and pepper and hot sauce. After a cooling off period I eat the meat straight from the glass bowl and then add some fresh, frozen or canned vegetables to the leftover juices and cook them with more seasonings. Asparagus, creamed spinach, green beans with spaetzel or almonds, okra, Brussels sprouts, Belgian endive etc. are typical and usually are not seen on the menu (not where I'm likely to eat out anyway). Less meat with more vegetables suits my dietary needs, is 'greener' (less energy used/waste generated to produce) and is also less expensive.

There is not too much left to clean in the single glass bowl after I am done eating and very little water and detergent is needed. A titanium spork, a serrated steak knive, a plate to sit the bowl upon and a coffee mug (used for all beverages) rounds out my service ware. Not everyone will find that an attractive way to eat but it is pretty 'green' and healthy if you shop smart and add non-fat yogurt or cottage cheese with grapefruit or oranges for breakfast (and oatmeal with raisins and walnuts if I'm really hungry). I used to prepare bigger breakfasts with fresh eggs and bacon, sausage or scrapple in the microwave too, which is an option (eggs like to blow up though, timing/power setting is critical).

My main carb sources are light beer with pretzels or a bowl of chili with corn chips at night (and coffee and cocoa with a cookie or two during the day) which provides the carbs otherwise missing from primarily meat/dairy and vegetable/fruit dishes. When a can of soup gets thrown in it adds variety and rounds out the nutritional balance. Who needs a spice rack when there is canned soup? Experiment to find favorites but watch out for the fat calories.

If I had to cook for two or four people I would just scale up to using a bigger glass pot in the microwave but everyone else would have to be OK with the meal being served in two courses and the possibly extended meal time needed to cook the second course (vegetables) while eating the first course (meat) unless the two are combined.

With some experimentation boxed pasta is easy to cook in the microwave (spaghetti broken, bowl uncovered and anticipating some inevitable spill over). Ramen noodles are a snap and cheap but the fat calories are monstrous (who knew?). Cleaning the microwave with a damp wash cloth between courses takes about 20 seconds. It never gets hard to clean as does a conventional oven which needs harsh chemical cleaners and also consumes much more energy.

Recycle all glass, plastic and cans and there is not that much left for the landfill either. True that a restaurant's bigger can/jar/plastic container is less wasteful than are my own several smaller ones but if they are all being recycled what is the difference? When the power used to purchase, store, prepare and consume your food is minimized and the waste stream generated is minimized you are effectively doing all that you can do to minimize your own environmental impact as a consumer.

When I do eat out now it is a pretty big deal and I only buy the stuff that I would never make at home. Like a hamburger with fries. If you must eat lunch at work that complicates things, I generally used to heat up something previously prepared in the aforementioned glass bowl with a tight fitting plastic lid and placed in the office fridge. During the night shift at foreign posts we lived on microwave able hot pockets.

I have also (in a previous life) owned a cookbook and tried to use every kitchen gadget ever invented (whisk, grater, fish steamer, espresso machine, etc.) so if you are into that as a hobby or as a source of spiritual as well as nutritional sustenance I am fully sympathetic with your ’foodie’ ways. I just wanted to say that it is easy to eat well while conserving too.

I've been living a microwave-cooking lifestyle for over 3 years now because I live in a dorm and just cook for myself. I cook almost everything from raw with the microwave - even rice, pasta and Chinese vegetables. But it REALLY SUCKS. So a couple of months ago, I've decided to switch to an energy-efficient, convenient and still sort of nutritious way of cooking, which most people have known for ages - slow cooker. It's easy, just look up recipes online, like foodnetwork.com, or slowandsimple.com, and you get taste and convenience in several hours. (I must confess I don't like the texture of slow-cooked chicken in stews, but I just found out I can roast a chicken in the slow cooker!) From my statistics- and research-lacking speculation, this way of cooking should be rather green since you cook in bulk for like twice a week. The only caveat is you don't get lots of variety, but you can always eat out a couple of times per week to balance it out.

chiuwah:

...So a couple of months ago, I've decided to switch to an energy-efficient, convenient and still sort of nutritious way of cooking, which most people have known for ages - slow cooker. It's easy, just look up recipes online, like foodnetwork.com, or slowandsimple.com, and you get taste and convenience in several hours...

I remember my Mom used a slow cooker often and it was excellent, plus I knew what was cooking the moment that I walked through the door as the simmering spices wafted through the place. When my Cousin got married I gave her one which she seemed genuinely happy to have. You can only use so many sets of steak knives I guess. I forgot how good they work, thanks for the recommendation.

Also by using both a slow cooker and the microwave together it should be easy to prepare larger meals for several people economically. While the already on hand meat and rice or potatoes simmer in the slow cooker you can pick up the best available fresh vegetables on the way home to quickly cook in the microwave so enjoying both the flavorful nutrition of a stew and the crisper texture of fresh vegetables.

A 200 Watt slow cooker uses the same amount of electricity in 2 1/2 hours as does a 1500 Watt microwave in 20 minutes so the power consumption is similarly small relative to other larger appliances.

The frugal way, is really the only way to go. You spare the planet and yourself from so much waste. When you think about it, people really aren't going to think about the planet before they think of themselves (in general). Therefore, when you "sell" being green as a way to save someone time and money and eating healthier, you're actually reaching the ones that might not be as green-conscious as they should be. Selling being green is singing to the chorus, you're frugal angle is spot on!

Don't forget to buy local groceries whenever possible, the less things are transported/imported, the better: less cost, fewer preservatives, and don't tell the non-greenies, but it requires less gasoline to get it to their mouths.