BY GAVIN LEIGHTON FOR GREENING OF OIL

Recently, a colleague with Greening of Oil wrote about the tradeoffs associated with the different ways of barbequing food.  But let’s say that you have made a final decision on what barbeque method you will employ, and that you are having friends over to show off your skills.  If you’re figuring out the menu, and want the added bonus of being able to brag about your sustainable choices, then use some of the below choices to put together a sustainable barbeque plate. 

Of the options associated with summer eating, one is a sort of grain. Traditionally, grains such as rice and pasta have been used, often in cold salads, but there is a little-known grain growing in popularity that you may want to try. This grain, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is one of the best in the world because it contains all the essential amino acids.  You’re going low card you say? Rethink that choice. Each human can manufacture certain amino acids that we turn into protein. However, there are some amino acids that we can’t make on our own and we have to get these essential amino acids from foods such as meat. However, quinoa is one of the only vegetables that can supply all your amino acid needs. Further, quinoa also produces a natural anti-herbivore covering on its seed coats that reduces the need for pesticides. Finally, there are many ways to prepare quinoa, get ideas here. The one caveat associated with quinoa is that production is regional and has to be shipped into many parts of the country.  So if you prefer to focus on local foods, quinoa may have to be put on the back burner for now, figuratively.

The next part of any delectable spread is fruits and vegetables. This is also the easiest part to “green”.  What you should focus on are fruits and vegetables that are locally grown and those that are in season (these two aspects are somewhat redundant, but worth noting). Fortunately, many of the fruits and vegetables that we associate with barbeques are in season during the summer months. Watermelon, raspberries, blueberries, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers are in season in the summer. If you have a weekly farmer’s market in your town in the summer then they should have all the fruits and vegetables you need. Get what’s fresh, try something new, think outside the box.

Finally, most barbeques feature some sort of meat. While some forms of meat production can be damaging to the environment, there are sustainable ways of producing meat. The best bet is, again, to search for local, range-fed chicken and beef. With some searching, you can find local growers all over the United States. In addition, you can also de-emphasizing meat on your barbeque dish. Don’t get upset! A straightforward way to de-emphasize meat is to mix it with other items. Kabobs with peppers (which are also in season in the summer), tomatoes and cucumbers can reduce the space needed for meat.  Or you can add grilled meat to a quinoa dish and serve it with a variety of grilled veggies.

These suggestions are clearly just a start, and with some ingenuity (and a healthy appetite) you’ll come up with even more solutions to make your outdoor food experience more sustainable (list them below in the comments section!). So with the summer that is left, be sure to get together with friends and enjoy a green barbeque. 

Gavin Leighton is a first year graduate student studying biology at the University of Miami. He is focusing his efforts on the maintenance of a cooperative behavior in an African passerine.

Born and raised near Philadelphia, PA, Leighton attended Colgate University in New York. At Colgate, he majored in environmental biology and was the president of the environmental student group on campus for two years. Leighton was also a member of the sustainability council at Colgate University. The council was a group composed of faculty, staff, and students that made advised the administration on environmental decisions.

Visit Leighton’s website