Environmentally Friendly Snacks
By: Grace Geiger
Published: February 25, 2011

Didn’t think you could get your snacks to be green friendly? Well, you can! And it’s fun too. Don’t worry, we are not suggesting you only eat raw veggies or flaxseed crackers; there are other tasty options that don’t require using electricity and use local and sustainable ingredients. Some are more labor intensive than others, but the result is homemade treats you can feel good about eating! To read more about eco-conscious wedding food, click here.
So what makes a snack eco-friendly or environmentally friendly? First, you have to think about how it’s made and the ingredients used. For example, obviously using an oven means wasting electricity, gas, and heat to make food, so that would be out. When buying ingredients, look for local, seasonal, and organic fruits and veggies. Not only will it taste better, you’ll be helping local farmers and the carbon footprint of your food. Finally, it’s always smart to think about packaging. Is this something I can eat with my hands? Does it have to go in a plastic bag or be served with a non-reusable item? If it does need a container of sorts, there are lots of eco-friendly options out there like this cute bag that you can wash and use over and over.

One of the more adventurous eco-friendly snacks you could try is making your own yogurt at home. You’re saving yourself all those containers, not to mention the health benefits of not adding stabilizers, sweeteners, and other add-ins. Tara Parker Pope wrote a particularly good how-to guide on yogurt in a 2009 piece in The New York Times. Check out the recipe below and get yogurting!
Homemade Plain Yogurt
Photos by Flickr user wot nxt and Mom the Barbarian