The staff of the Ohio University Office of Sustainability understands that talking to family members about sustainable food habits can be difficult, so a few students are sharing some tips and good food to help out.
On Thursday, the Office of Sustainability, in coordination with the OU Food Studies Theme and the OHIO Sustainability Alumni Network, will host its second Ecohouse Thanksgiving Dinner. The free event will feature a spread of vegan and vegetarian foods, and the event planners will give tips and tricks for tackling difficult discussions about sustainability over holiday dinners with family.
As of press time, the office is no longer accepting reservations.
Vicky Kent, a graduate student studying recreational studies who works in the Office of Sustainability, planned the inaugural dinner last year and contributed to this year’s planning as well.
“Obviously it’s a food-heavy event, and it’s just ways to reduce food waste and increase sustainability during that holiday,” she said. “We wanted to have it before Thanksgiving so people could have these conversations and learn about how to tactfully talk to their parents about these sorts of things without getting in trouble.”
The food provided by the office will all be carefully selected as organic, locally-grown vegetables and cooked in energy-efficient ways. Some vegetables will be provided by the Food Studies and Food Matters programs, which Kent said will additionally highlight student sustainability efforts on campus. Other dishes will be provided potluck style, and all will be meatless or dairy-free.
Kent said recipes for the foods provided will be given to dinner-goers so they might incorporate them into their own Thanksgiving meals at home.
“We kind of see it as a continuum,” Kent said. “You can be super sustainable and that can mean that you’re putting yourself out with a lot of effort and money. Or you can start small … we just want to encourage people with what they’re comfortable with and to try something new and try to be more sustainable.”
Meg Little, a graduate student studying environmental studies who works in the Office of Sustainability, also contributed to planning the Thanksgiving celebration this year. She said the discussion component of the meal is something she expects will be most helpful for attendees.
“I think it’s just an amazing place to bring in these conversations because I know as a student, I was kind of in the same boat when I was in undergrad,” she said. “People are coming here and they’re learning about these things, but there tends to be such a disconnect between that and their families.”
Little hopes the dinner will facilitate conversations about ways students can tactfully talk with their families about how to eat more sustainably no matter what their home culture might be like.
“Our goal is to have a blend of people who have not really ever thought about this (and) people who are super immersed in the world of food and sustainable food so … there’s education across all of the students and community members that are there,” Little said. “Hopefully people will learn some things, like new angles at which to think about their impact on the world through their food.”
