Eco-Friendly Kitchen Practices
October 19, 2011
Eco-Friendly practices have to start somewhere, so why not in the kitchen? Here are a few tips and tricks to greening up your kitchen routine with reusable containers and organic food.
Buy in Bulk
This one may sound like a money saver, but it can also be a Eco-Friendly practice as well. The University of Florida did a study which found when all packaging is accounted for, it adds up to about one-third of all the trash that’s thrown away in the United States. One way to reduce this packaging is to purchase in bulk. Instead of purchasing the individual serve peanut butter cups, purchase an economy size jar. This will reduce packaging AND save you money.
Cook in Bulk
This can be not only a Eco-Friendly choice, but a time saver as well! If you purchase the bulk chicken breast instead of the small single breasts you can save on packaging and energy consumption for cooking. How you may ask? Simply bake the entire pack of chicken breasts at the same time. This means the oven will only have to preheat one time and the 40 minutes of cooking will only have to take place once instead of 3-4 times. This will not only save on energy consumption, but will also help you prepare meals quickly. You can cut up some chicken breast and make chicken salad sandwiches, or BBQ some of the breasts and cut them up for BBQ-Ranch salads. You can cook the chicken anyway you like then store the cooked items in reusable containers in your fridge and have meals handy throughout the week.
Grow a Veggie Garden
If you have the space, growing your own veggie garden can help out your wallet and make Mother Nature incredibly happy. If you don’t have room for a large garden, think about growing a small herb garden in your kitchen window sill. It is always nice to have fresh herbs on hand, plus they smell fantastic.
Filter Your Own Water
Plastic water bottles produce large quantities of unnecessary landfill waste. Purchase a water filter and a reusable water bottle and make your own bottled water.
As you can see, a green kitchen can actual save you time and money! Do you have any tips to share for keeping your kitchen green?
