Create your own Eco-Kitchen at Home
An eco-conscious kitchen doesn't stop with consuming green. There are several crucial things you must do to have a healthy kitchen. These include using equipment with sustainable materials, energy-efficient meal prep, and avoiding toxic chemicals. Luckily, making the right decisions about your health is also good for the planet and your pocket.
As for your kitchen, size and equipment count almost as much as passion, devotion, experience, and common knowledge. Do you know what it takes to limit your carbon footprint? A little guidance can help you develop a better routine for the environment and your health.
An eco-conscious kitchen also involves how you buy, prepare, and store your food. Our simple recommendations for getting an eco-conscious kitchen will immediately transform your home into a greener space.
- Eco-conscious Shopping
You can take many steps to ensure an eco-conscious food shopping habit. All your choices can affect you, from what you get in shops to how you buy them.
The foods in your kitchen are as crucial as the appliances and gadgets there. So, try and buy local food whenever possible. Food distances have increased close to the top of eco-conscious food considerations. Now, the shorter the distance from the farm to the countertop, the better. Since organic foods spoil fast, think of getting your food from a local farmer's market. If possible, you can buy it from the farmers themselves.
Storing raw or dry food in plastic containers is more convenient, but you should ensure you switch to eco-conscious food storage containers. If you have a container without fitted tops, use a food cover. It will secure the food well and avoid exposure to air. Try reusable beeswax wraps instead of plastics since they can fit all shapes and sizes. Besides, they're also sustainable, and you can wash and reuse them.
Raising livestock contributes significantly to greenhouse gasses. Chickens, pigs, and cows consume a significant amount of grain, leaving little to feed the masses. Thus, adopting a plant-based lifestyle is another excellent way of reducing your environmental effect.
Further, try to stay away from processed food and excessive packaging. If you want to eat processed food, let it be minimal. But consuming unprocessed foods is much better. Highly processed foods like pastries, sugar-sweetened drinks, and chicken nuggets contain ingredients that could harm the environment. These foods are usually high in sugar, saturated fat, and added salt. It's best to avoid these types of food because they're unhealthy for you and the environment.
Most shops usually sell foods in wasteful packaging. For instance, opt for whole apples instead of single-wrapped packets of organic applesauce. Use bags made of hemp, cotton, mesh, or other natural materials and always keep them neat.
- Invest in Durable Cookware
Use long-lasting utensils and cookware that you don't need to discard with your leftover casserole. The controversy on the threats of non-stick surfaces to health is still ongoing. Without any doubt, they have a limited functional life. Instead, opt for cast iron or stainless steel. Even though it's a little expensive, a good cast iron skillet has a prolonged life span.
Use sturdy utensils instead of cheap types. Note that poor-quality plastics can melt if you leave them on fire for too long. Choose high-quality knives and durable cloth towels.
- Engage in Energy-Efficient Cooking
Several popular cooking methods use unnecessary energy. A few cooking technique adjustments can give you an eco-conscious kitchen.
Limit Oven Use
Ensure you make good use of your oven. Cooking more than one thing at a time is also wise. Use a toaster oven for smaller dishes or reheat in a microwave to save energy. Using the microwave instead of the oven reduces cooking energy by 80%.
Stop Preheating
Preheating is almost like an ancient practice. Most modern ovens attain temperatures fast, making preheating almost old-fashioned (excluding some delicate dishes and soufflés). If you're baking or roasting a flexible item, put it in immediately and turn off the oven within 5-10 minutes. Allow dishes to finish preparing food in the residual heat.
Use Stoves Well
Anytime you're cooking on the stove, use a well-sized pot for each burner. Using a 6-inch pot on a 10-inch burner, waste over 80% of the burner's heat. Ensure all your pans and pots come with close-fitting lids.
- Use Sustainable Materials for Your Meal Preparations
Chopping blocks and cutting boards are vital components in the kitchen. As such, you need to have an active and eco-conscious type. A sustainable wooden cutting board instead of mats or plastic ones is a beautiful addition to your kitchen. Most wood types, like developing bamboo, can limit the growth of dangerous microbes.
- Use Eco-Conscious Products for Cleaning
Choose eco-conscious cleaning products instead of harsh chemical cleaners. Sometimes, your pantry can have lemon juice, baking soda, or plant-based soaps. So, try to use environmentally conscious options to clean your kitchen because they don't have any harmful side effects.
- Consider Your Appliances
Most people are now turning to energy-efficiency upgrades. For example, an efficient dishwasher minimizes water rather than hand washing. Dispose of any old appliances because they contain hazardous chemicals and materials.
While replacing your old appliances, check for the energy star rating on kitchen appliances. You will find them on refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers. Ensure you buy a model with a simple design and sturdy to last for some time. Your oven doesn't need an internet connection or an exhaust, which can be an ineffective and poorly designed product.
- Upgrade to a new Farmhouse sink
A Farmhouse sink has plenty of space to wash your dishes so you don’t have to run water down the drain. If you want a smaller space to wash, fill a wash tub and use the water then quickly rinse all the dishes spread out in the larger space of the sink. A copper or fireclay sink will last a lifetime and are made using natural materials.
Wrapping Up
Having an eco-conscious kitchen comes with several benefits. It protects the environment and saves money on electricity bills. If you're building a new home or remodeling your kitchen, consider equipping it new lighting and use LED bulbs. Reach out to us today and let us help you create your eco-conscious kitchen.
