knows no bounds and Thanksgiving, a day of thanking the earth for its bounty, is here. The best way to honor the earth and all of its creatures is to have an eco-conscious Thanksgiving and conserve, reuse, repurpose and reinvent rather than waste.

Here are some valuable tips on how to waste less this Thanksgiving:

  • Recreate leftovers and turn them into something delicious. Compost what’s unuseable and feed it to your chickens if you have them. Or use some scraps as fertilizer, like coffee grounds, some fruits and vegetables, shells from eggs and nuts, tea bags.
  • Use vegetable peels. The nutritional value of the peels is substantial. It reduces food prep time, too.
  • Guesstimate how much food you’ll need. Think about your guests, how much they eat, and try to prepare amounts you think you may eat to reduce waste.
  • Delegate. Do a potluck to reduce your load. Ask people to bring something sustainable to the table.
  • Be imaginative about your menu. Not everyone likes turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Be bold. Change it up and make what you like to eat. Ask the same of your guests.
  • Vegetarian Thanksgiving. There are so many wonderful vegetable dishes you can make. Vegetables and fruits have protein, and you don’t need as much as you think you do. Think rice, quinoa, oats, healthy grains for starch. Dessert can be just as unique and imaginative as your meal.
  • Start with less on your plate. If you want more, take it in smaller portions so you don’t waste food. Especially for the kids in the house.
  • Make stock of carcass if you have meat. Soup makes for delicious, warming cold winter nights.
  • Take leftovers to the homeless shelters. There’s always an opportunity to give back.

In an ever-evolving world that demands our attention, make this Thanksgiving a time to give back, eat consciously, and reinvent yourselves. There are so many ways you can make a difference in your lives and in the lives of our animals. It’s a daily practice to consume consciously, and you won’t be perfect or have all the answers. These tips can help you begin the process of an eco-friendly sustainable Thanksgiving this year. Kids learn from us. Make it a green, eco-friendly day!