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I’ve only been in culinary school for four months, and I’ve already learned so much. Training with some of the most amazing chefs has taught me not only pristine cooking skills but also some unforgettable life skills. I’ve learned how to be a better chef, student, and overall person. As days go by, I’m beginning to realize the impact my peers and I make on the planet just by the way we cook in the kitchen. You wouldn’t believe how much one wastes until you realize what all you can make out of a single vegetable.

Although it is to be considered a new trend, sustainability and nutrition are very important to not only cooking but our planet as a whole. Knowing what you are taking out of the environment is essential to creating delicious dishes but knowing how to replenish the environment is even more important. As Earth Day just passed, I’d like to dedicate my first article to five ways food can change the environment.

1. Compost — Not Trash!

It may be very difficult to get into a new routine when you’ve already grown familiar to one. For a while, I was just tossing out scraps of vegetables and fruits. Now, I’ve learned that instead of throwing it away, compost it, so that it can be used to grow more vegetables and fruits.

2. Buy Organic

Yes, organic produce is more expensive than your regular produce, but these vegetables and fruits aren’t covered in pesticides or mutated with unknown DNA. How does this help the environment? Well, you, yourself, are a part of the environment so why would you want to harm yourself with chemical-ridden vegetables and fruits? Plus, the fewer people buy produce covered in pesticides, the more people will join together and realize that pesticides aren’t the best way to protect our produce.

3. Save the Cows!

I’m not saying go vegan or vegetarian. I’m saying you should be knowledgeable of where you get your meat from and how the livestock is treated. You do not want to support a feedlot or farm/barn raised cattle. This means that these animals are kept in poor conditions. Allowing the livestock to roam will not only affect the flavor of the meat but will also create a better life for the animals. Always be appreciative of the meat and produce that you can have from the environment.

4. Buy Local

This supports small businesses as well as the environment. Attending the weekly farmers’ market will introduce you to farms in your area that produce whole, clean produce. It is rare, but there are always a few people who like to false advertise their produce. So be cautious and research before you buy.

5. Eat Less

As Americans, we tend to want it all! The worst part is, we get it all, and then we can’t use it all at once, and then we waste it. Prevent waste by buying only what you need. Stop stocking up at Costco on things that will surely go bad quickly, and limit the number of things you put in your fridge. The less you buy, the less you waste. This will save you money and save the planet.

Before all of this, I didn’t know “Saving the Planet” was so easy. I was so quick to assume that it was a long and boring process, and honestly, I was annoyed by those that cared so much. After realizing the huge impact humans make on this planet, instead of turning a blind eye, I’m going to start making some serious life changes. I owe it to myself, the food industry and whoever comes after me to do so.

Written by Kaya Daniels
ICC California Campus, Professional Culinary Arts Student

Kaya Daniels graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), founded as The French Culinary Institute (FCI). In 2020, ICE and ICC came together on one strong and dynamic national platform at ICE's campuses in New York City and Los Angeles. ICC’s culinary education legacy lives on at ICE, where you can explore your own future in food.