Celebrating Planet Earth. Respecting its gifts.

Recently, the world celebrated Earth Day (April 22). In fact, I am writing this article one day after Earth Day and am, therefore, inspired to write about it – Earth.

There might have been a time in the past when we looked at the world around us as more than just a place. Then, it was alive, it nurtured, it gave life. It was seen as a Mother. Mother Earth. For most of us alive today, this notion is completely buried underneath the modern concepts of happiness, pleasure, and comfort. Our diets are the perfect example.

Food defines us – what we eat, how we eat it, how many times a day we do so! Our diets and the way they evolved have deep historical, cultural, and even religious roots, making this a sensitive topic for many and a complicated target for change.

However, food systems are a leading cause of environmental destruction and climate change. This means, among other things, that we need to change the way we eat.

There are many shifts one can commit to in order to reduce their diet’s footprint. Here are some ideas:

• Reducing food waste
• Reducing the consumption of animal products
• Shopping local and supporting small producers
• Being mindful of water and energy usage within the household
• Growing one’s food and composting

Numbers one and two were placed on the top of the list on purpose, as they are the two most impactful changes one can make to reduce its land, water, and carbon footprints.

Today, we waste as much as one-third of all food produced in the world; this accounts for one-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions coming from food. It is said that. if food waste was a country, it would be the third largest carbon producer in the world, behind only the USA and China. Apart from disposing of perfectly good food, we are also squandering all the resources used to produce that food – all the freshwater water used, and the nutrients in the soil. Not to mention the carbon emissions associated with food production!

Animal industries do not fall behind, either. They are the number-one cause of habitat destruction and deforestation, mostly driven by the need to grow animal feed and clear land for grazing. Moreover, animal production systems are responsible for over half of all greehouse gas emissions coming from food.

It is not my intention to demonize those involved in the meat and dairy industries. This said, these industries – the way they operate today – do not respect the planet, the animals, not even the people working there.

If we are to change the way we produce and consume food, we must change the way we look at what the land gives us. We must look at Earth’s resources with respect, love, and gratitude. In this context, it means to stop wasting resources and use them more efficiently.

Being creative in the kitchen helps with reducing food waste. Where we see a waste product, another can find a precious ingredient. On the other hand, creativity will also be of great use to replace some animal-based products with plant-based alternatives.

I created today’s recipe out of necessity. I had a lot of lemon pulp in my fridge and thought I could make a delicious lemon and yogurt cake with it. As an alternative to the traditional cow’s yogurt, I used soy-based yogurt.

Please find the recipe below. I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you in some way.

Lemon and Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:

• 50 g of lemon pulp (this is what you get when you juice a lemon to make lemonade)
• 140 g of natural soy yogurt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 200 g of soy milk (or other plant-based milk of your choice)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract (optional)
• 70 g of vegetable oil
• 350 g of all-purpose flour
• 200 g of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of baking powder

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180º C. Grease or line a cake pan.

Add the lemon pulp, lemon zest, and yogurt to a blender and blend until smooth. This first step is optional. I do it to make sure there are no fibers left when the cake is baked.

Transfer the lemony yogurt to a bowl and add all wet ingredients – soy milk, vanilla extract, and oil – and the sugar. Combine well.

Add the flour and baking powder through a sieve and mix until just combined.

Transfer the batter to a lined or greased cake pan and take it to the oven at 180º C for 30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Let the cake cool down slightly before removing it from the pan and let it cool down completely on the rack.

Note: To make the cake in these photos, the recipe above was scaled up 1.5 times.