5 Tips for a Greener Festive Season

Written and photographed by Andrea Oyuela

This is the time of year when we look back on the year to list our accomplishments and get those New Year’s resolutions ready. For me, this year left me with a renewed sense of purpose about the need to take climate action (thank you Greta Thunberg!), leading to a few simple changes in lifestyle. The festive season can make it hard to maintain an eco-friendly lifestyle—especially with all the feasting and merrymaking. Fortunately, there are many tricks to make that special dinner more sustainable. Celebrate this year’s achievements, our health and that of our planet by using these five tips to prepare a greener holiday feast that is just as merry, delicious and Instagrammable.

When planning your festive dinner, choose a menu that is friendly to the environment. Look at what is available seasonally and locally before selecting the recipes. This will save you a shopping headache and ensure you get a final product that is fresher, tastier and with fewer food miles (the distance food travels from farm to table). You can also plan portions to calculate how much you need and prevent over shopping

As if prepping a big dinner isn’t timeconsuming enough already. Save yourself some time and don’t peel your vegetables. Just give them a good scrub and remember: everyone loves a rustic look. When shopping, try to source supplies from local markets and businesses. Buying from large stores often means that your food will be wrapped in layers of wasteful packaging and come from thousands of kilometres away.

It is widely agreed that eating meat has a large environmental footprint, so why not try releasing your inner herbivore this season? Not only is it better for the planet but it’s also a great opportunity to save a bit of cash for that extra-boozy eggnog and make vegetables an eye-catching centrepiece at the dinner table. I mean, have you googled Hasselback butternut squash, stuffed peppers or whole roasted cauliflower?

Let’s face it, leftovers are the best part of the holiday season. They put our creativity—and laziness—to the test for days after the feast. Have some leftover fruit and opened wine bottles? Make a refreshing sangria. Too many roasted vegetables? Turn them into a hearty pasta dish or a salad. Extra potatoes? No problem, make potato croquettes. If dealing with leftovers is overwhelming, then encourage your friends to bring a takeaway container and share in that holiday spirit.

Lovely food needs a table setting that is just as good. Sadly, conventional decorations may contain non-reusable materials such as plastic and artificial textiles. Fortunately for us in Kenya, natural and everyday objects are easy to come by—and look a lot better. Combinations of herbs, flowers and whole spices can make great table arrangements, while reused jars and candles create a cosy and intimate dining atmosphere. For the much-anticipated gift exchange, think of using recyclable packaging and DIY decorations. I’m a huge fan of reusing brown paper bags to wrap gifts. Tied with some natural twine and topped with cinnamon sticks or shelled nuts, this combo makes for a stylish, modern (and cost-effective) gift wrap that is bound to keep you merrymaking until daybreak.