Hey everyone! I wanted to share with you my simple fridge + pantry tips to reduce waste. I'm nowhere near perfect but I'm constantly making an effort to reduce my waste and make better choices which is started with the way you plan, shop and store your food. If you buy too much, you'll end up wasting food. If you don't properly store your food, you'll end up wasting it.
There's some things that stores make impossible to buy plastic-free like bread, grapes + berries but we can make up for it in other areas like opting for loose veggies instead of plastic. It's taken a lot of trial and error to get to where we are and I'm still learning everyday on ways to reduce my waste.
FRIDGE STAPLES:
eggs - organic, pasture-raised always. if you can buy local, that's great. otherwise, I love vital farms. eggs are an amazing source of protein and can be added into any meal. who said eggs are just for breakfast?
gluten-free bread - I like the gluten-free bakery here in nyc but I also like food for life. great for sandwiches, avo toast, almond butter + jam. anything really! also love having raisin bread on hand!
raw veggies - prepped + ready to eat to dip in hummus or kite hill ranch dip! I also love having them already prepared for salads/bowls. spend 30 minutes to an hour or prepping to ensure you always have them on hand to choose over chips.
lemons + limes - great for homemade dressings, smoothies, add into water or make lemonade!
kimchi - great for the gut and with eggs for brekkie! I like mother in laws vegan kimchi.
coconut water- great to drink alone or in smoothies. added hydration and electrolytes.
nuts + seeds - store in the fridge to ensure freshness. I keep almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds on hand. and almond butter.
kite hill ranch dip - this dip is BOMB! my favorite thing when I was a kid was ranch and veggies and now they made my dream come true by creating a vegan one! so good!
miyokos butter - amazing alternative to conventional butter. melts + tastes just like it. sub it in any recipe that requires butter to make it vegan.
FROZEN STAPLES:
hilary's breakfast patties - made with millet, flax and chia seeds with the most delicious maple-y flavor. great source of protein and fiber in the morning. kudos to my sister for putting me on! :)
frozen fruit - I always keep an assortment of frozen fruits in my freezer for smoothies. anything from blueberries, mangos, pineapple, etc. helps them last longer. I also freeze ripe bananas for smoothies! 📷p.s. we don't technically have a pantry only a cabinet so I pulled out some items to show :)
PANTRY STAPLES:
garbanzo beans - I ALWAYS have these on hand to make homemade hummus, add into salads, curries, toast them. literally the options are endless. check out my crispy chickpea "croutons" here.
black beans - another thing that's so versatile and can be added in soups, salads or into tacos. we don't eat a lot of meat so beans are essential for us to get in our protein
rice noodles - love love love having these to use instead of rice when we're in the mood for stir fry or pad thai. they only take a few minutes to cook too! I likethis one.
lentil pasta - 14g of protein and doesn't give you that "carby" feeling afterwards. I get the whole foods brand. organic and only one ingredient -- LENTILS!
coconut milk - for soups or curries. so delicious!
quinoa - great source of protein and a great alternative to rice. can be added in salads, soups and used as a base for buddha bowls.
engine 2 pasta sauce - love the spicy kale one and the ingredients are great, low in sodium and organic which is key to buying pasta sauce as tomatoes are on the dirty dozen list.
coconut aminos - instead of soy sauce to avoid soy + wheat which are high inflammatory foods. can be used in dressings, soups or asian dishes. I usethis one.
ghee - it's been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and is a way better version of our conventional butter. it's a great source of healthy fats and is lactose free which means people who are sensitive to dairy can consume it. I use this one.
hemp protein - I use this instead of conventional protein powder because I honestly don't like a lot of the flavors and that they contain added sweeteners like stevia. just not my thing. I use this one.
avocado oil + 100% olive oil - avocado oil has a high smoke point which I prefer using when roasting or using in high temps. olive oil is great for salad dressings and eating in it's natural state. please make sure to always read the ingredient list to ensure you're getting 100% pure oil. a lot of brands trick us and blend it with vegetable oil.
himalayan pink salt - I use this instead of regular table salt.
pretty mushroom adaptogens - I use these daily in my lattes. help boost energy, focus and mood. my go-to is the genius and happy shrooms! found here. tea - I have a lot of tea on hand as so many have different benefits. I started making alot of my own blends but I also really loverishi tea. i keep chamomile, peppermint, matcha, jasmine, tulsi and so many more in our home.
STORING PRODUCTS:
beeswax wrap - amazing reusable alternative to saran wrap or aluminum foil. i like this one.
stasher bags - silicone alternative to ziplocks and can we washed in the dishwasher. kinda pricey but so worth it.
mason jars - I like having mason jars on hand to store fresh veggies, nuts, seeds or prepped food. I also reuse any that I have on hand from old things such as kimchi, coconut oil, pickled veggies.
glass tupperware - switch over from plastic, now! plastic should not be heated because it melts into your food which adds chemicals like BPA + BPS. Chemicals found in plastic are proven to cause hormone imbalances. avoid overall -- better for your health + the environment. I got a set at costco for under $30.
STORING TIPS:
clutter-free: by keeping your cabinets + fridge clutter-free, you'll get a better idea of what you already have and can easily access it. I personally feel like when my fridge is cluttered, i don't like to eat the food as much! greens - such as romaine, collards, kale, etc that doesn't come in a container can be wrapped in a damp towel and stored in the drawer.
basil - i always had a problem with keeping my basil fresh until I learned that wrapping a towel around it keeps it fresh.
parsley + cilantro - fill a jar half way with cold water and stick the herbs inside standing up. change the water when it starts to run low or get discolored. option: cover with a reusable ziplock while in the jar. this keeps for a week or so.
loose carrots + celery - store in a jar or container with a little cold water at the bottom
nuts + seeds - store in airtight jars in the fridge to ensure freshness avocados - keep in fridge to make them last longer or in a brown paper bag on the counter to ripen quicker
SHOPPING TIPS:
focus on the perimeter: you'll find your real food is in the perimeter of the grocery store whereas in the middle is where you'll find all the packaged, canned and processed foods. do the majority of your shopping on the outside and make a plan before entering the inside to keep you on track.make a plan: this is something i'm still working on but I find it helpful when I do make a plan because it helps me stay in budget and from overbuying.
buying less: often times we overbuy at the grocery store and end up throwing food out. buy less and if you need to get more food then make another trip to the store. also, by making a plan this will ensure you buy less as well. bring your own bags (this includes produce bags): this is one of the easiest ways to reduce your waste. leave them hanging on the door and bring them to your car on your way out. some places like whole foods actually give you 10 cents for every bag you use. produce bags are unnecessary for many reasons and most countries don't even use them. if you like to use them, bring your own with you. i like these.
buy in bulk: instead of buying packaged grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruit -- buy in the bulk section. this saves you money and helps reduce your plastic waste. you can use these bulk bags to store them in or mason jars with the tare weight written on them.
what is a tare weight? the weight of the container alone. to find the weight: set the scale to zero + place the empty container = tare weight.
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