Green Grilling

We love having a backyard barbeque during the lazy days of summer, especially if it is a rooftop party with our closest and chicest friends in the city Here are some green tips to have an eco great time:

Avoid disposable plates and forks at your barbecue.  Bonus points if your dinnerware and silverware is made of sustainable or recycled materials, like the bamboo dinnerware and recycled glass wine glasses from this Natural Willow Eco-Friendly Picnic Basket.  Or, if you must use disposables, consider biodegradable dinnerware from companies like Biocorp or Eco Palm Ware.

Wonder which cooking method is greener?  Natural gas is cleaner and more energy-efficient than burning wood or charcoal, which generates tiny soot particles that pollute the air and cause lung and heart health problems.  Other cleaner options include propane and alternative fuel from coconuts.

If you insist on grilling with charcoal, there are a few that are environmentally-certified – look for Rainforest Alliance Smartwood sustainably-harvested charcoal. Remember, that overcooking can cause cancer-causing substances, so keep your eye on the grill and don’t let anything burn.

Always grill your meats at proper temperatures and check with a thermometer to reduce the risk of E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter, and Listeria, found in undercooked ground beef and poultry.  Better yet, you can limit your over all exposure to these risks by cooking more veggies than meat.  Not only do veggies have a lower carbon foot than meat, they are less likely to be infected with these bacterias.  If you do go with meat on your menu, be sure you buy from organic and local farms. Enjoy and happy barbecuing!