I love working in a well organized kitchen. Over time I have tested different ways of keeping my kitchen clean over the years and have learned a lot from it! Keeping a well organized and clean kitchen is about more than just looking good. it is a way to help you save money, reduce waste, inspire your creativity, keep you eating healthy, and honoring your space.
I have bought all the '''healthy'' bulk items thinking I will eat it all, only for it to go to waste.
A big source of waste for me was bulk flours. I would tell myself I wanted to use a certain item ( like brown rice flour or almond flour ) and buy a couple pounds of it. It would look great in a jar on the shelf, but eventually it would expire instead of being used. After doing this several times I started to analyze what types of meals I actually make and what ingredients I use the most. Just because I like the idea of using a certain ingredient doesn't mean I will. I also used to buy lots of different types of nuts but found that I didn't eat nuts often enough to buy such a variety. I now limit how many nuts I have on hand and try to work through them before getting more. It is important to be able to honest with yourself because in the long run it will save you money and prevent food waste.
What I have found stores well on a shelf and things I would use often are bulk dry legumes, whole grains, and some nuts & seeds. Because legumes make up a lot of the protein portion of my meals I find it important to have a good variety available. I have several types of lentils like red, green, black, yellow, and horse gram lentils. I keep many types of beans in my kitchen including black, pinto, garbanzo, white, kidney, adzuki and tepary beans. I have yellow and green split peas and mung beans. I will use a certain legume and then change it out for another type to make sure I am eating a good variety. Before eating plant based I thought of all beans as one type of food, almost like a meat eater would see ''chicken'' . But as I ate more plants my palate changed and so did my view of legumes. Now I see each bean individually and it has its own unique flavor and benefits for whatever dish I am making.
By keeping my items in clear glass jars I can see what I have and what I am missing. When I open my cabinet to ponder what to make, having my jars spread out instead of lumped together makes it easier for me to see what looks appealing. If I have a lot of a certain item it may sway me to include that ingredient. Just the act of looking makes my mind wonder if I really want to eat that for dinner. Previously I used to keep all my items in glass jars but I would jam pack my cabinet. It made me lose track of what I had and it caused me to waste more items.
Keeping a limit on how many items I have in my cabinet is surprisingly more inspiring than having a huge variety. When I kept a larger variety of food it would sometimes induce feelings of being overwhelmed when I opened the cabinet doors. I am the type of cook that likes to look at my food and imagine what I could make with it. With less jars and ingredients, I find my decision making skills are much sharper .
Being inspired to eat healthy can start in your cabinets! If you are looking at beautiful whole foods when you open the doors, it will remind you of what you want from your food. If your cabinet is filled with processed foods it will set yourself up for a whole different mindset. If you are making the switch to eating healthier, having good whole foods at your fingertips is so important. In moments when you may want to give up, having a beautiful cabinet can be the perfect reminder of your intentions to eat better. I personally limit the amount of processed foods in my home. I have found that the more processed foods I have on hand, the less likely I am to make a pot of beans or make some whole grains as a side dish. It can be human nature to reach for the ''easiest'' option but this can lead to undesirable habits. If you can cleanse your kitchen of a lot of processed foods you may start to see certain healthy whole foods as ''fast'' or ''easy'' to make. When I am feeling lazy I like to make quinoa or lentils. It only takes 15 minutes or so to cook up these items, and they can easily be made into a nutritious meal.
When I started eating more whole food plant based I would often buy a lot of canned foods.
But buying bulk dry goods is much more cost effective, generates less waste, and in my opinion, is better tasting. It is a learning curve and a little bit of a process to make new habits. In the long run you will save so much more money as well as have more food in less space.
I do have a few cans of certain beans just in case but mostly, I make pots of beans and then freeze the excess. This makes it easy to just warm up a portion of beans or whole grains for dinner when I have little time. A game changer for me was using an instant pot. Instead of worrying about cooking beans on the stove and constantly watching them, I can set my instant pot for 35 minutes and come back to perfectly cooked beans.
I changed my view on food after learning more about how my ancestors saw their food. Food wasn't something to be wasted. Because they understood and often were a part of all the processes that went into planting, growing, and harvesting their food, they truly honored it. There was this deep appreciation for all that food offered. This is a feeling and belief I strive to uphold.
As I added more indigenous ingredients to my cabinet, the more I became involved emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I started adding more rare foods and wild harvested ingredients to my cabinets . I source certain items from indigenous farmers like my tepary beans or different corn varieties. I do find myself a little more ''protective'' of these foods and make sure to use them before they go bad. Having more of these foods in my cabinet created a wonderful ripple effect. The more I saw it, the more I wanted to use it. The more I used it to make meals, the more I craved it. The more I craved it, the more I looked for different indigenous foods to try. Such a beautiful and healthy cycle ! It is because of this cycle that I started seeking indigenous heirloom foods to grow. Growing these varieties offered me fresh food not only during the summer months but well into the winter and the next growing season.
There is so much value in keeping an organized kitchen. It can help you along your journey in whatever place you are with food. I have learned so much about myself through this process as well as used it as a tool to change my life and behavior. To the average person it may seems silly to take food storage so deep and meaningful, but for me, I see my kitchen as a life changing opportunity!
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