The kitchen is one of the easiest spots that I can personally make a difference, however small, in being more eco-friendly. With some recent purchases, I’ve found it easier than ever to support the environment with less plastic, less waste and more organization. You may have seen a few of these items on my Instagram story lately, and I’m happy to report that after frequent usage, I can highly recommend all of them! What ways have you cleaned up your kitchen to support the environment?
Drinks
This set of Four Glass Straws has been ideal for making smoothies at home. The glass straws make my smoothies look even fancier, plus I can slurp up every last drop! These are wide enough to work well for everything from an iced coffee to thicker drinks.
In an effort to drink more water at work, I purchased this S’well Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle (25 oz, Lily Wood) and love how big it is! I keep it at work and then fill it up in our break room a few times a day. I can go between meetings with it and the water will stay cold for up to 24 hours! I feel so much better about using this than buying water bottles throughout the week.
Because I loved my Swell so much, I wanted to find something that would work just as well for my coffee. After a ton of research, I ended up purchasing the Hydro Flask (16 oz) and I’ve been really happy with it. So far, no leaks (knock on wood!) and the coffee stays hot for hours! I bought a fun color that I would look forward to taking to work everyday instead of wanting to stop and buy coffee.
Storage
I had seen these Stasher Reusable Silicone Food Bags on Instagram for months, but thought it was crazy to spend money on fancy food bags. Now, I couldn’t feel more opposite! The investment in these Stasher bags has been so worth it both for me and for the environment. I bought a small, medium and large size bag and have loved incorporating them into my routine. You can even steam veggies and sous vide food with the bags! Now I never have to buy Ziplock again!
People ask me all the time what kind of storage containers I use. I did a ton of research months ago and ended up purchasing these Anchor Hocking Classic Glass Food Storage Containers with Lids. So far, I’ve been really happy with them. The glass is a little heavier if you want to work with your lunch everyday (hello city life!) but I prefer that over plastic containers so the food smells and colors don’t stick. Plus, when these are all lined up in my fridge after meal prep, I feel so organized!
One thing I’ve learned while working at Food Network is the benefit of these Deli Food Storage Containers. Our test kitchen uses them for truly everything and I’ve grown to love them, too. The tall 32 ounce version comes in handy for storing homemade stock in the freezer, keeping leftovers fresh, organizing clean produce, and more. On Amazon they come in a 24-pack, but I bet you wouldn’t mind having the extras around.
My dream has always been to have a perfectly organized pantry where everything fits into reusable containers and looks streamlined. I finally made the investment this year and am so happy! Now I can buy bulk items (way better for the environment!) and store everything in matching containers. After looking high and low, I settled on these Oggi 5-Piece Acrylic Canister Set with Airtight Clamp Lids. I originally wanted glass ones, but they are almost double the price (not needed!) and these acrylic ones are light, easy to stack and come in a variety of sizes so you can truly customize.
Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela
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