Konialian's Kitchen: Sustainable Meals for your Wallet and the Planet

Beck, Margo

Konialian's Kitchen: Sustainable Meals for your Wallet and the Planet

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/51923

Author(s)

Beck, Margo

Date Issued

April 15, 2021

Abstract

Many individuals of Generation Z are currently graduating from university. These young adults are now faced with making their own decisions about food consumption without the influence of parental figures. Gen Zers are aware of the impacts of climate change and the need to be environmentally friendly. Providing this population with ecologically friendly recipes can help them make better food choices for the environment. This generation is plagued with student debt, which impacts their consumption behavior. As “digital natives”, Gen Zers often acquire recipes via the internet. A website with ecological and affordable recipes is a favorable medium for these individuals to have access to a resource which helps them make environmentally friendly food decisions. This website includes multiple Mediterranean recipes since they are cost effective and ecologically sound due to a focus on plant-based food items rather than those sourced from animals (https://konialianskitchen.wixsite.com/website). These recipes list price per serving, carbon footprint, and water footprint calculated to demonstrate how they have a significantly smaller environmental impact and monetary cost in comparison to other foods such as a Big Mac. Providing this analysis will allow for new graduates to recognize the impact of their food choices and make decisions that adhere to their financial constraints and their desire to address climate change with their consumption behaviors. With more people eating Mediterranean food, some of the harmful effects of agriculture production that contribute to climate change may diminish as this diet requires less water and emits fewer carbon dioxide equivalents.

Major

Environmental Science

Honors

Environmental Science and Sustainability, 2021

First Reader(s)

Pallant, Eric T.