Since waking up to a more sustainable way of life, I’ve realized the importance of making your own kitchen staples. Choosing to make a few simple recipes from scratch helps my family accomplish three things:
- Helps us reduce plastic waste
- Allows us to eat more organic food
- Enables us to have less processed meals
Ever since my daughter started eating solid food (more on that here), I became increasingly aware of the ingredients that make up our meals. Eating organic has become the core of my kitchen. I believe that it’s one of the most important choices you can make for your family’s health. Although it might be more expensive now, we’ll hopefully save on medical bills later.
Although it’s been common knowledge in the health community for years, more and more studies are emerging that prove how dangerous pesticides are to the human body. These dangers are amplified in the small bodies of children. You better believe my little one year old will be eating all the organic meals possible! Here are some news stories I’ve seen recently:
- Tests Reveal More Weed Killer Than Some Vitamins in Kids’ Cereals
- Eating Organic Food Linked With Lower Cancer Risk
- Monsanto Ordered to Pay $289m Damages in Roundup Cancer Trial
Another important value to me is cutting down on our plastic waste. Completely avoiding plastic while living in Japan has proven to be impossible for our family, and I’ve finally come to terms with that. However, every little bit helps. Each action I can take to eliminate a source of plastic consumption in our home makes a difference.
All of the recipes below are tried and true and easy to make. I’m not an expert chef by any means–trust me! If I can make it, so can you. Here are the 8 food items I now make from scratch instead of buying pre-made.
1. Bread
I first made my own bread when when I did a One Week Without Plastic challenge (read more here). It’s been a staple in my kitchen ever since! The recipe my mom shared with me makes 4 loaves, so I can freeze three of them for later. I use organic flour to keep it healthy and wrap each loaf in a large kitchen towel to keep the storage plastic-free.
Bread recipe here.
2. Tortillas
These are super easy to throw together and freeze well for future meals. My daughter will eat pretty much anything if it’s hiding inside a quesadilla. Use organic flour and you’ve got yourself some delicious organic tortillas. We go through a ton of these bad boys in our kitchen!
Tried and true tortilla recipe here.
3. Margarine/Butter
I was more hesitant to try this recipe, but it’s literally five ingredients and comes together in three minutes! It’s vegan, has a great taste, and can be used the same way you use regular margarine or butter. We were using Earth Balance before this, but now I just keep making my own and putting it in our old container.
Homemade vegan butter recipe here.
4. Broth
I haven’t bought any broth in almost a year now. I love making broth because you can put it on the stove, and let it simmer for a few hours while you’re doing other things around the house. It’s as simple as freezing your leftover veggie tops and stems and then tossing them in a pot with some water. Give it a try!
Vegetable broth recipe here.
5. Juice
This is pretty self -explanatory. Squeeze your own juice. No added sugar, no preservatives, and you can choose organic fruits and veggies. If your family drinks a lot of juice, invest in a juicer! It’s a great way to sneak in a healthy dose of greens for the pickier eaters in your family. Plus, no plastic waste if you’re getting your produce fresh. It’s healthy for you and good for the environment!
6. Pizza
I can’t remember the last time we bought a frozen pizza. Although I initially started making my own pizza to cut down on waste, I’ve more recently found out how unhealthy they are. Frozen pizzas are packed with chemicals and preservatives to keep them fresh for months (years?) at a time.
The DiGiorno Rising Crust Supreme Pizza has no less than 45 separate ingredients! My general rule of thumb is: if the ingredients list is long and I can’t pronounce half of the ingredients listed, it’s probably not a good choice to eat it.
Making my own pizza is SO simple, easily customizable and much tastier than frozen pizza. I always double the recipe to make two sheet pans and freeze leftovers. It’s easy to pop a few slices into the oven for a quick meal later!
The recipe I use is directly from the back of the yeast packet:
7. Hummus
Hummus is the perfect appetizer to throw together for a party or potluck. You only need a few ingredients, it’s all done in the blender, and it’s healthy for you too! Enjoy it with fresh veggies, toasted pita bread, or on a veggie sandwich. Here’s a link to my hummus recipe.
8. Veggie Burgers
Veggie burgers are ridiculously easy to make. Smoosh up some beans, add a bunch of chopped veggies, some breadcrumbs to hold it all together, an egg (or flax egg if vegan) and you’re all set. Did I mention, they’re freezer friendly? Here are two of my favorite recipes.
Lentil veggie burgers recipe here.
Black bean burgers here.
Start small.
If you aren’t already making some kitchen staples from scratch, I encourage you to start small. Pick one or two from this list, and then increase it little by little! Lots of these recipes can be doubled and frozen for a later date, so that you aren’t making bread every week or stressing about making tortillas every time you want to have taco night.
By choosing to make these 8 kitchen items from scratch, I can reduce our plastic use AND increase the amount of organic food that’s served on our plates. If food is healthy for you and your family, it’s typically healthy for the environment too. When you choose to eat organic, that’s a vote for a healthier Earth.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes and how it goes for you! Here’s hoping these recipes inspire and help you with your own sustainable journey.
