Sustainable Saturday - 10 Tips for A Green & Frugal Thanksgiving

Holidays are a great time to implement Green ideas even if they are new to you.  It's a great time because holidays tend to be full of paper products, disposable this and that and excessive packaging.  It's also a great time to share with your family and friends ways in which you are striving to be more green and give them inspiration to eat more whole, healthy foods, use less disposable products and cut down on waste in general.

10 Tips for A Green & Frugal Thanksgiving!



1.  The Turkey

There are Organic and Free Range Turkeys available from a variety of places.  My best advice is to check with local (family or locally owned) farmers or farmer's markets to see what they carry and the price.  Buying from a local source will have less impact on the environment than if you ship a turkey half way across the country.

Organic Turkey

An organic turkey can be any breed, including a Broad Breasted White. Organic simply means that the bird has met the standards for USDA Organic certification, including an organic diet, surroundings including bedding and grazing areas that are pesticide and herbicide free, no hormones or antibiotics, and humane treatment. For many consumers, lack of pesticides and hormones in their food is the most important consideration, and why they purchase organic.

Free Range Turkey

These birds were not confined to a cage, but were allowed to roam and forage. Thus, their diets were augmented with grubs, worms, and grass, improving the flavor of the meat; the exercise supposedly improves the texture.

Antibiotic-Free Turkey

Similar to organic, these turkeys can be any breed. They have not met the more stringent standards for USDA Organic certification, but they have not received antibiotics.

TURKEY! Whole Foods Market The Hills Market Local Yokel Foods




Organic Turkey $3.49 / lb. $4.99 / lb. $3.57 - 4.99 / lb.
Free Range $2.49 / lb. $2.99 / lb.
Antibiotic-Free Turkey


Local Turkey (Amish)
$1.99 / lb.


The Hills Market located at 7860 Olentangy River Road Columbus, OH 43235.

Local Yokel Foods - Columbus - Fresh, Local Free-Range! Order by Nov 9th! Please order Turkey(s) separately. All Turkey orders will be delivered Mon or Tues before Thanksgiving. -Comes from Kuck Farm in St. Mary's, Ohio. Raised w/o antibiotics or hormones.

Check out Organic Deals & Coupons for more Turkey options available Nationwide.

2.  The Table - Decor

The decor of your Thanksgiving table can be something very simple such as a few fall squash placed in the center to very elaborate including homemade crafts using recycled items from around the house.  Probably the most important thing to remember is to use items that are not disposable such as cloth tablecloths and cloth napkins.
3.  The Table - Place Settings

For the place settings it's really as simple as pulling out all the place settings, flatware and serve ware that you most likely already own (or can borrow from a family member or friend).  Avoid disposable plates and silverware if possible.  If you must use some disposable items due to the number of guests, choose products that are environmentally friendly and compostable.  Disposable items that are labeled as biodegradable are not as effective as an item which compostable.

4.  The Food - Appetizers & Salad

When planning your menu you don't need to focus on only Organic produce.  Make sure you review the The New Dirty Dozen:  12 Food to Eat Organic and The Clean 15: Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic.

You can also download to either your computer or smartphone, EarthBound Farm Organic - The Pocket Guide to Choosing Organic or Environmental Working Group's 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides.

When planning your Thanksgiving Relish Tray or Salad consider the following:
  • Carrots - Off the list in 2010, carrots have made the Dirty Dozen list in previous years because of the 26 different pesticides that have been detected in food residue.
  • Celery - Has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals that are used on conventional crops.
  • Bell Peppers - Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides.
  • Leafy Greens - Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food (51 of them), though they dropped off the 2010 list.
5.  The Food - Side Dishes

When planning your menu you don't need to focus on only Organic produce.  Make sure you review the The New Dirty Dozen:  12 Food to Eat Organic and The Clean 15: Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic.

You can also download to either your computer or smartphone, EarthBound Farm Organic - The Pocket Guide to Choosing Organic or Environmental Working Group's 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides.

As you select your side dishes for Thanksgiving Day, think about NOT buying Organic for the following common Thanksgiving items:
  • Onions -Look for onions that are firm, have a distinctive "oniony" smell that's not overpowering, and show no visible signs of damage or soft spots. Store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator.
  • Asparagus - Look for firm spears with bright green or purplish compact tips.
  • Sweet Peas - Look for full, green pea pods at your local farmers market, farm stand or grocery store.
  • Cabbage - Look for cabbage heads whose leaves are tight and be sure the head is heavy for its type, and firm. 
  • Sweet Potatoes - It's hard to go wrong choosing a hardy sweet potato. Just make sure it isn't beaten up or rotting, and choose a size that matches the meal you're preparing.
  • Broccoli - Look for tightly bunched flower buds on the broccoli stalks that are immature.
DO buy Organic for the following common Thanksgiving items:
  • Potatoes - America's popular spud re-appears on the 2010 dirty dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides.
6.  The Dessert

When planning your menu you don't need to focus on only Organic produce.  Make sure you review the The New Dirty Dozen:  12 Food to Eat Organic and The Clean 15: Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic.

Planning on Baking a Pie for Thanksgiving?  Whether it is Apple, Cherry or Pumpkin consider the following:
  • Apple - Like peaches, apples are typically grown with the use of poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients.
  • Cherries - Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries.
  • Make your own Pumpkin Puree by purchasing Pie Pumpkins from your local Farmer's Market.
7.  The Beverages

Make sure you review the The New Dirty Dozen:  12 Food to Eat Organic and The Clean 15: Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic this applies to Beverages too!

Coffee - Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the USDA Organic label to ensure you're not buying beans that have been grown or processed with the use of potentially harmful chemicals.

Tasty Beverages - One of our favorite companies is Great Lakes Brewing Company.  Great Lakes Brewing Company is a principle-centered, environmentally respectful and socially conscious company committed to crafting fresh, flavorful, high-quality beer and food for the enjoyment of their customers.  Located in on the West Side in Cleveland, OH, they distribute to 13 states in the U.S.

8.  The Waste

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to display your composting skills and cute counter Composting Crock.  You can read all about the basics of Composting here.  It will not only spark an informative conversation with your guests, but you can also put much of your waste from Thanksgiving Day into your Compost Crock or Compost Pile.

We put all of our fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grounds, coffee filters, egg shells, dryer lint, dryer sheets (Seventh Generation), leaves and select other yard waste in our compost.

9.  The Leftovers

Reuse Thanksgiving Leftovers for another meal.  At our house we have made Turkey Stew by boiling the carcass of the turkey.

Recipes Using Cooked Turkey:



10.  Have someone else prepare Thanksgiving Dinner

If you are short on time, but don't want to sacrifice the quality of the meal you eat or serve your family, considering ordering an entire Thanksgiving Dinner from places like Whole Foods Market.  Prices range from $59.99 (Dinner for Two-Four) to $129.99 (Dinner for Eight).

Sources:  THE NIBBLE Great Food Finds, New Dirty Dozen:  12 Food to Eat Organic and The Clean 15: Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic.
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