A Happier, Healthier Kitchen
The kitchen is by far my favorite room in the house. I love to cook. I love to plan meals, create recipes, and read cook books. But mostly, I love to eat. My family spends so much of our time in the kitchen, which is why I really focus on making it a healthy and sustainable space in our home. There are so many tips you can find online about going green in the kitchen, but here are a few habits that have worked particularly well for my family.
Buy in Bulk
Shopping in bulk is one of my favorite things to do! I know that might sound strange, but I love filling my reusable bags with grains, snacks, and spices I’ve never tried (or even heard of in some instances). It forces me to explore new recipes, and because I can take as much or as little as I want, nothing goes to waste. When I get home it all goes into glass containers in my pantry. This process not only eliminates waste, but it keeps my pantry organized and beautiful. For those of you in the Sacramento area, Nugget Markets and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op are my favorite stores to shop for bulk!
My love for buying in bulk doesn’t stop with food. A couple times a year I head to Refill Madness and stock up on things like soaps and dishwasher detergent. For other cleaners, the DIY route is often the easiest option. Mix vinegar and baking soda with a few drops of essential oil for countertops. For stainless steel appliances use olive oil on a clean towel.
Eliminate Paper
I won’t lie, paper towels are very convenient. But after about a week of switching to old towels for kitchen clean up, I don’t even miss the disposable paper option. I cut the towels to wash cloth size (sew the edges to avoid fraying), and we now use them for everything from cleaning popsicle off my son’s face, to wiping up chicken juice from the counter. They go into a laundry basket under the kitchen sink, get washed on the sanitary setting, and then reused.
The Freezer is your Friend
Wasting food makes me cringe. I’m always trying to get creative to make sure my weekly recipes get us through any perishables in the fridge. If something is getting close to the end, and I worry we won’t use it, it goes in the freezer. Spinach, berries, buttermilk, broth, you name it. All our nuts also go in the freezer. They basically last forever in there, and they’re extra crunchy when I put them in my yogurt. When I bake, I freeze what I can, because what family of 3 can go through a dozen cinnamon rolls in a couple days?.. Okay, we can.. but shouldn’t, so thank goodness for the freezer.
Avoid Single Use Servings
I’m totally guilty of buying single-serving food items. In college, individually packaged dinners were my jam. And now, with a toddler, single-servings make for super convenient grab-and-go snacks. But I’ve strayed away from single use packaging as much as possible. I make and freeze things like mac n’cheese or chili in single serving glass containers, ready whenever I haven’t planned ahead for lunch. I make a week’s worth of oatmeal in lieu of individual packets. I prep a couple days worth of snacks to have on hand for my son. A majority of what is bought in single-servings can be actually prepared at home. You can make things like pop-tarts, baby food, or even fruit snacks to avoid purchasing individually wrapped and boxed options. Another plus is being able to control exactly what goes in your food.
Store Leftovers Intentionally
I use glass containers and beeswax wrap for everything. Glass can go from the freezer to the refrigerator to the oven or microwave, and still look good on the dining table. Whatever you would traditionally wrap with plastic can typically be wrapped with beeswax or put into glass containers. Cheese, leftovers, halved fruit, fresh baked bread, etc. I feel like it’s almost our instinct to reach for a plastic ziplock bag or cover something with plastic wrap, but it doesn’t take much work to retrain our brains to use more sustainable options.
Rethink your Routines
Morning coffee is a huge part of our day. We always buy our coffee from local roasters, and fill our reusable bags when we can. We grind our own beans and use a french press, eliminating waste from pods and filters. It also turns into a ritual in the morning. No, coffee isn’t ready when we wake up. We don’t press a button and instantly have a warm cup o’ joe. But we enjoy doing the process together every morning. Even our son loves to help scoop and grind the beans. We also love shopping for different varieties at the farmer’s market and local shops. It’s not a waste of time. It’s time well spent together.
Side note: The french press is also so versatile! I use it for all my loose leaf tea., and often keep a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge for hot days.
Greens are Good
Spruce up your counters and shelves a bit with some greens. People who know me, know I’m a huge advocate for adding plants to every room (they clean the air, people!). I use my kitchen as space to propagate my house plants, and they make for easy decoration. I also love creating arrangements with clippings from around my yard. Studies show that plants improve mental and physical well-being. I promise they will make your space feel fresh, clean, and more enjoyable to spend time in!