Zero Waste Pantry Guide

Welcome back to the blog! We are discussing all things zero waste and sustainable pantry today. I am covering my pantry must-haves for the best organized and utilization as well as what are my top 5 items I keep consistently stocked up!  Yes mamas, it is possible to have a fully stocked sustainable (and money-saving!!) kitchen. It takes a little bit of time to start but once you get going (and once you’re done reading this blog post), you will feel confident! 

 

Here are my top 3 MUST HAVES for a zero waste & sustainable kitchen: 

Reusable Glass Jars:

Simple mason jars are the perfect staple for storing shelf-stable foods, almost all pantry items but also to use as a perfect substitution for plastic tupperware or food savers (and, much easier to clean, too!). You can get jars in all sizes and I recommend getting an assorted variety. 1L-2L jars are great for storing cereals, flours, oats, etc. Medium-sized jars (.5L)  are great for storing beans, baking ingredients and kid snacks and the small ones make great use for home-made items and leftovers.

I even love the extra small ones to store things like garlic and spices!

Mason jars are also a neat way to store things inside your fridge but as well as make your pantry look organized. Showcasing your beautiful foods in your stunning pantry is the best way to create a healthy and happy environment.

Mama Tip

You can buy mason jars in bulk online or at most local bulk stores! BUT the best way to build your mason jar selection is to save the jars from leftover jams, olives and other jarred foods! Clean them out and peel off the label for a great way to reuse and recycle! I also love to get creative with the kids and make our own labels for every jar, these are also always fun to match to the aesthetic of your kitchen.

Vegan Wax Wraps:

The healthy way to saran and save! The ultimate saran wrap substitute which is reusable. This wax wrap can fit onto multiple dishes, jars and more.Save and store your foods without plastic or pollution.You can get them in all kinds of sizes but I also cut them to size for my own personal bowls and find this is the easiest way to keep using them! The wraps are so easy to wash and are definitely one of my most favourite multi-purpose kitchen tools. There is seriously no excuse for plastic when you happen to have these amazing vegan wax wraps!

I love Vonuva Wax Wraps check out my review here. 

Grocery Baskets & Produce Bags:

This one often gets forgotten but it’s such a great thing to keep in your pantry. You have to get the food in there somehow, right? So by having a large reusable grocery basket to take to the store or the market, makes it ideal and simple for you to unload into your pantry! Another favourite item, similar to this are produce bags. They’re inexpensive and simple mesh bags to carry and store fresh produce in, (they also allow the produce to breathe, if you want to store produce inside the bag continuously), they’re reusable, wash-able and keeps your produce tidy while shopping or at home. I also find both grocery baskets and the produce bags make a great gift for people and as a consequence, it helps create a lot less waste for everyone.

 

What to Stock In Your Zero Waste Pantry
 

Now that you have your three must haves, here are my favourite zero-waste and vegan dry goods you should always have handy and stocked in your pantry.

These are the things I use on a daily basis. Usually I tend to restock once or twice a month but I try to always have a big enough stockpile to keep my pantry comfortably full to ensure a productive week ahead:

1.  Legumes: These are a staple in every plant-based kitchen. I use beans for almost all meals: snacks, baking, lunch, dinner and sometimes dessert!

2. Nuts: Great for cooking, baking and snacking! I love to have a stock of walnuts, peanuts, and almonds to use in all kinds of recipes as well as great snacks for the kids. If you have a nut allergy, you can sub this out for granola (which I always like to have too), vegan chocolate chips and your favourite crackers.

3. Grains: Rice, quinoa and flour are staples that I use everyday. Great for meals and any baking we do. I use all my bigger mason jars for this as the rice and quinoa are used almost every evening. Also, I keep a heavy stockpile of different shaped pastas and I store these in mason jars. I have a wide selection of noodles to keep things exciting but always have a big stock pile of penne as we love our pasta. Grains are one of the biggest must haves as I’m sure you know you are going to use these consistently.

4. Spices: This is huge for cooking! Keeping your pantry stocked with your favourite spices. It is going to save you time and give you the best selection for cooking each and every meal. Spices are an absolute NEED in my kitchen as I love to spice up everything (especially those pasta dishes), I keep garlic, basil, oregano sesame, salt and pepper and vinegar in bulk.Also, I enjoy growing my own herbs too!

The more you have in your pantry, the happier you and your kitchen will be. Starting here, will give you a great head-start on your perfect zero-waste and sustainable kitchen.

If you found this article helpful, you will most likely enjoy our other articles!

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