Ways to save energy in your kitchen go a long way to making your lifestyle and your home eco-friendly. Many of us are concerned about our furnace and air conditioner but there are dozens of smaller things you can pay attention to in your kitchen to live as green as you can. We want to reduce our carbon footprint and our ecological footprint.

To start reducing that footprint in your kitchen, think how you cook your food, the type of energy you use for your range, dishwasher and frig and for your oven.

Here are some ways you can reduce your cook print each time you prepare a meal.

• Shop locally. Look for locally grown produce at farmers markets, farm stands and food coops. You get fresher food, support your community and help reduce fuel waste and emissions from long-distance shipping.
• Microwave water for tea or use a hot water pot instead of turning on the stove.
• Use passive boiling whenever possible. This means not boiling pasta or potatoes as long as a recipe says. Boiled water takes a long time to cool. Turn off the burner soon after you hit a boil, put a lid on the pot, and the cooking will be done fuel-free.
• Grill it. Outdoor frills take less energy than your stove and heat out of your home in the summer.
• Use cooking lids that fit. Cooking food in an open pot or pan is wasteful because so much of the heat is lost.
• Save leftovers in glass containers rather than in plastic containers or bags.
• Consider purchasing a convection oven if you do not have one. Convection ovens cook 25 to 30 percent faster which means your meal is ready using less energy than a traditional oven.
• Try cooking with a slow cooker when possible. Sow cookers also use less energy than a traditional oven or a large burner on your stove.
• Run your dishwasher at midnight instead of during peak hours.
• Skip the garbage disposal and try composting instead.

Environmentalists are urging people to try to reduce the strain they put on the planet each time they prepare a meal. Most of the advice is about taking a different approach to cooking rather than trying something that is brand new. Some people end up finding the new approaches more convenient than their old way and adopt the news ones quickly. It is all about being mindful about your environment.