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Reduce cooking times and save energy and money by simply cutting your vegetables or meat into smaller pieces. You\u2019ll also have smaller, more bite-sized portions on your plate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
3. Cook Smart<\/h3>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s the little things that matter when we\u2019re taking an ecologically kinder approach in the kitchen. Here are a few things you should think about when cooking:
\n\u2022\u00a0 Putting lids on pans can reduce cooking time by up to 40%<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0 Ensure pans on a stove just cover the gas burner, with no flames up the sides<\/p>\n
\u2022 Cook big \u2013 a pan\u2019s efficiency is reduced by 80% if it\u2019s only a fifth full<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0 For smaller amounts of food microwaves can use up to 50% less energy than a\u00a0conventional oven<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0 Heat water in a kettle and transfer it to a pan once boiled. Kettles use less energy than boiling pans.<\/p>\n
4. Cook with residual heat<\/h3>\n
To reduce energy use when\u00a0roasting vegetables\u00a0or baking up a batch of cookies, turn off the oven a few minutes before the recipe indicates. For casseroles and roasts, you can turn it off at least 15 minutes ahead of the time you expect to remove the food. (Always use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.)<\/p>\n
5. Take the temperature<\/h3>\n
The optimal temperature range for your fridge to reduce spoilt food and wasted energy is 35-38\u00b0F (2-3\u00b0C); the freezer should be 0\u00b0F (-18\u00b0C). If your fridge doesn\u2019t have a thermometer, you should purchase one and check it regularly.<\/p>\n
6. Go Raw<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/wothot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Chicken-caesar-wrap-4.jpg\")
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Enjoy food as nature intended and don\u2019t cook it at all. Salads, wraps and chilled soups are all great ways to eat well.<\/p>\n
7. Eat Seasonally<\/h3>\n
Eating produce in season is tastier, more nutritious, and can be better for the planet. This is because fruits and veg are often harvested near you as a result it cuts down on the carbon footprint from long-distance transportation.<\/p>\n
8. Eat Plant-Based Meals<\/h3>\n
Raising animals for food takes vast amounts of land, water, and energy, and those animals are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Even worse: Global meat production is expected to increase to a whopping 62.6 million tons in 2018, placing an even heavier environmental burden on our planet. With this in mind try and eat plant-based meals as much as possible.<\/p>\n
View Tops Day Nurseries vegetarian and vegan recipes<\/a> available in all our award winning nurseries.<\/p>\n At Tops, our\u00a0menus and recipes<\/a>\u00a0are designed to ensure the children have a fully balanced diet with all meals and desserts having reduced sugar. We also run\u00a0Tops Cooking School<\/a>, a extra-curricular activity for our children. The cooking workshops\u00a0are\u00a0run weekly\u00a0at our nurseries, for children to learn,\u00a0make\u00a0and get excited about food.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Sugar](\"https:\/\/www.topsdaynurseries.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Feature-image-3-e1474374858532.jpg\")
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