Reduce food waste & combat climate change with Chef Alejandra Schrader
I speak with Chef Schrader about simple ways to eat healthier while lowering your carbon footprint!
Did you know that your culinary choices can not only improve your health, but also that of the planet? This week on the show, I speak with Chef Alejandra Schrader. She is an award-winning cookbook author, plant-based nutrition certified chef, food TV personality, and activist. Alejandra encourages people to eat in a way that benefits human and planetary health—to consume a wider variety of edible plants, to minimize food waste, and to cook smart. We talk about lessons from her new book “The Low-Carbon Cookbook and Action Plan: Reduce Waste and Combat Climate Change with 140 Sustainable Plant-Based Recipes” and explore how to put these into action. Read more about Alejandra’s work at her website (alejandraschrader.com) or follow her on social media platforms at @ChefAleSchrader. You can also learn more about the Periodic Table of Food’s global initiative to biochemically characterize foods at their website (https://foodperiodictable.org/)
About Alejandra
Alejandra has a Certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan. She has been invited to share her expertise on sustainable food systems at the United Nations and the World Bank. Her interviews have been featured in The New York Times and Forbes. She has done television appearances on national shows in the US and Canada.
Her book: The Low-Carbon Cookbook and Action Plan: Reduce Waste and Combat Climate Change with 140 Sustainable Plant-Based Recipes won the 2021 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for the US in the Food Waste category.
As an Ambassador for the Periodic Table of Food Initiative, she collaborates with the science community to study the biochemical composition of food. She’s a founding member of the Chefs’ Manifesto and a Sister on the Planet Ambassador for Oxfam America.
Praise for the Low Carbon Cookbook
“When Alejandra writes about the relationship between the food we eat and the impact it has on the environment, she’s not just doing it on a hunch—she’s done the research and shares it in a way that’s not polarizing or politicizing. By setting the table with food and facts, Alejandra provides anyone who cares about the food they eat with plenty of inspiration for creating meals that taste—and do—good.” – Courtney Hazlett, executive producer and creator, Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge
“What people eat affects all parts of their lives as well as life on this planet. It’s not enough anymore to only consider nutrition, health, and enjoyment, but we must further consider climate, the environment, and the livelihoods of food workers and producers in all parts of the world. We must also do it knowing fully well that our choices impact people far removed from us, particularly through the effect on climate. The Low-Carbon Cookbook brings together a contribution of thoughtful ideas about how we can choose what we eat in a way that’s not only good for us but also for other people, for our planet, and for our collective prosperity.” – Dr. Agnes Kalibata, special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Food Systems Summit
“The Low-Carbon Cookbook is a welcome roadmap for home chefs of any level who care about the future of our planet and making conscious food choices. Alejandra Schrader blends detailed research with vibrant, delicious recipes that make eating a climate-friendly diet possible. With this delightful thought-provoking book, everyone can start making changes in how they eat today that will have a big impact on our planet tomorrow. In these times of climate crisis, this is a must-read for all who care about food, our climate, and all the living beings who share our planet.” – Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America
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Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.