If you are in charge of preparing food for Thanksgiving this year, you will undoubtedly be busy with your nutritious creations. But as you’re planning your shopping list, be sure to take a minute to think about where your food comes from.

1. Shop Green

Keep three things in mind when shopping for your ingredients: organic, local and nutritious. These will guarantee a fresher, more nutritious meal.

By buying at local farmers markets, you can not only enjoy fresh food, but you will also support your local economy. You will find the freshest ingredients here, plus ingredients that have not wasted energy being shipped all over the country.

2. Clean House with Green Cleaners

If you’re hosting the Thanksgiving celebration and must clean your house beforehand, be sure to use green cleaning products. Natural homemade cleaners will also get the job done and most use basic ingredients already in your cupboard.

3. Use Reusable Dishes and Napkins

Do everything possible to use reusable dishes and silverware! But if this is not available for some reason, buy biodegradable and compostable dishes and utensils. Along the same lines, use cloth napkins instead of disposable ones. And no bottled water!

After the meal, be sure to fill the dishwasher to capacity before running it to save water and energy.

4. Drink Organic Wine

If you’re planning drinks at your feast, opt for organic wine. In addition to being more eco-conscious with drinking organic, red vine is packed with heart-healthy flavonoids and some say it’s the secret to anti-aging!

5. Traveling Tips

If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by 1 gallon (about 20 miles), we would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tons. If you opt not to go home this Thanksgiving then invite nearby friends and family and neighbors to your house for dinner.

If you are planning the big trip home, then be sure to turn down the thermostat and turn off all the lights to save energy while you’re gone.

6. Use All the Leftovers

There is bound to be lots of leftovers, and plenty of options instead of carelessly just throwing them out. You can donate your leftovers to a food bank or nearby homeless shelter, send your guests home with plenty of extra portions in reusable containers, compost your food scraps, or continue to enjoy the deliciousness with lots of great recipes.

7. Recycle!

RECYCLE what you can! Since you might have guests in your home that have never been there before, be sure to clearly mark all recycling bins. As always, recycle anything possible (all packaging, beverage containers, etc). This will significantly reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill.

Happy Turkey Day!