Last time we focused on planning, making shopping lists and storing products.

Today we would like to address the actual cooking process. Is it possible to keep our waste in the kitchen at a zero level? The goal is to stay at the level close to zero, even if “zero” is just a dream!

While following our tips, please, also consider keeping your kitchen (and not only) utensils “zero waste”. Here at MMTUM Shop you can find plenty of sustainable and healthy products!

Use every part of a product

When cooking something consider using all the product. What does it mean? Think about the stems and leaves of some vegetables like broccoli or kale, that we usually throw away. These parts are also edible and you can use them when making soups, purees and smoothies! They are super healthy too as they contain a lot of fiber!

Don’t forget about the seeds. Most people just throw away pumpkin seeds, but they can make a healthy snack. Pumpkin and squash seeds can be used separately or you can add them to your salads or desserts!

What about peels? You can use them as well! Just scrub the vegetable before peeling and your peels then can be used for making crispy chips. Such chips (just make sure not to use oil) are very healthy as they contain a lot of fiber. Did you know that normally peels contain the most fiber?

Some parts can be given to your pets as a treat (or try to find some people who own pets). Rabbits can eat most waste parts of your veggies

Preserve what you cannot eat

Another way to save your product before it goes bad is to preserve it! There are multiple ways to do that:

Freeze!

– That’s a great option, and many products will taste almost the same after you defrost them!

Dehydrate!

– Some fruit and veggies can be dried and later eaten as crisps or turned into a powder (chile powder).

Pickle!

– Some fragile parts as leaves cannot be pickled, whereas most of veggies can! You can try different recipes and find your perfect one. Who doesn’t like a pickle?

Jam!

– That’s for berries and fruit! That is easier than pickling, just add the right amount of sugar!

We just gave you so many ideas towards zero waste cooking. Still you will find some parts cannot be used. Toss them into your

Compost Bin

What else? Check out how to make your life even a bit more eco with some amazing utensils from National Trust Shop (if you are in Britain and they also ship internationally). For example, they feature trash bags made from potato starch! Totally organic!

Something has to be done about that!

Let’s see what can be!

Of course, we can speak about this problem from a bigger perspective, but let’s start small! Facing the problem of individual food is one of the ways to tackle this issue globally. So, one of the popular trends now is striving for zero waste cooking in your kitchen!

What is the way to achieve a zero-waste cooking?

Better Planning

Make a list

Before going to a store. You can use different apps like Grocery IQ to build your list. Don’t forget to check what you already have at home! Be eco-smart about everything, for instance, consider using silicon bags instead of plastic. You can find such containers and bags here at Anova. Here is what they say about a better alternative to plastic bags:

Silicone derives from silica which is a non-toxic and odorless resource found naturally on Earth. It can withstand extremely high temperatures with low chemical reactivity and high flexibility. Silicone is also a non-hazardous waste and, at select locations, can be 100% recycled.

Keep it realistic

Buy as much as you can eat. Keep in mind a simple fact that some offers may seem attractive, but can you eat 4 melons before they go bad? It might be cheaper to buy several items, but do you need them? In the end they will go to waste together with your money.

Shop small quantities

See what we wrote above. It is ok to wait until you go shopping next time! Or in case you ran out of an important ingredient, you can always hop in the nearest shop.

Set the priorities

Always think about the products that expire quicker and use them first.

Stock the essentials

It is obvious and you most likely do this. Have some staple ingredients at home: canned products, pasta, rice and other grains. They have a longer shelf life and you can always make use of them when you don’t have anything fresh to cook.

By the way, you can check for some ideas to inspire your zero waste livestyle (not only cooking) here at MMTUM Shop!