How to Set Up the Ultimate Natural Kitchen to Optimize Your Health and Well-being
Did you just buy a new home, move in with your honey, or ready for a refresh. Whatever your reason, we are here to guide you through creating the ultimate natural kitchen to optimize your health and well-being.
Why is setting up a Natural Kitchen Important?
You are what you eat. Most of us can agree with that saying, but forget to include byproducts that we consume through the air we breathe, the substances we digest by accident, and compounds we absorb through items we use in our daily lives. These materials can be completely benign, cause slight damage, or downright harmful. Choosing 100% natural items will help you avoid any harmful toxins that come from man-made items.
Think Quality Over Quantity when Creating Your Natural Kitchen
When you start to think about creating your natural kitchen, the first thought is to replace everything all at once. The problem with that mentality is that you want to purchase quality items that are going to last for generations. Some of these items are going to be more expensive upfront, but will save you money in the long run since you are not going to have to replace them in the near future like some of the cheaper options out there.
How to Set up your Natural Kitchen
There are basics that every kitchen needs and we carry 100% natural options for each one in store or online. Here everything we will be going over in the following section:
Pots & Pans
Cooking Utensils
Servingware
Storage
Cleaning Products
Pots and Pans for your Natural Kitchen
There are two things to look for when shopping for natural pots and pans. Look at the main material the product is made out of and any coatings that are applied.
What to look for:
Materials that are excellent are cast iron, stainless steel, enamel, and clay. Coatings can be a little trickier because labels aren’t always clear. Cast iron will not need a coating as it takes on the flavors it is cooked with. Steel comes with a beeswax coating but this is washed off on first use and then the pan seasons over time like cast iron.
What to Avoid:
Avoid Fluoropolymer coatings and Teflon. These will break down after multiple uses and start to give off toxic fumes.
Our favorite products from our Natural Kitchen Collection:
Utensils for your Natural Kitchen
Much like your main cookware, you want to find utensils that will not leach chemicals when heated.
What to look for:
Luckily, utensils can be made from wood as well as steel, making natural option easy to find.
What to Avoid:
Aluminium and plastics.
Our favorite products from our Natural Kitchen Collection:
Serving-Ware for your Natural Kitchen
When moving into serving ware the main thing to note is if you want an item to go in the dishwasher, microwave, or contain hot food.
What to look for:
There are many choices for serving ware! Wood, clay, stone, enamel, and glass are all fantastic options.
What to Avoid:
Plastics
Our favorite products from our Natural Kitchen Collection:
Cleaning Products to keep your Natural Kitchen Safe
Creating a safe and natural kitchen is about more than just what you cook and eat with, it’s also about what products you use to clean your kitchen and dishes.
What to look for:
Use dish soaps from the natural section of the grocery store like seventh generation or even better a solid dish soap that comes with no packaging.
Tampico vegetable fibers with wooden handles are great for scrubbers.
What to Avoid:
Any dish soaps that are non-natural.
Any sponges or brushes made from plastic.
Our favorite products from our Natural Kitchen Collection:
Food Storage for your Natural Kitchen
Food storage comes in two waves, pre-prepared and post-prepared. Bring natural reusable bags to the store or market. Once home, store food in glass jars, cotton bags, or ceramic bowls. Left over prepared food also needs to be stored inside of non-toxic containers to avoid leaching.
What to look for:
Reusable items are key. Cotton, beeswax wrap, and glass jars make for perfect storage.
What to Avoid:
Any single-items and plastics
Our favorite products from our Natural Kitchen Collection:
Final Thoughts about your Natural Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home in many ways; it's where people often gather and where nourishment is made. Filling it with safe items that can be passed through the generations is a beautiful thing. Remember to source food from local markets and farms to cook healthy whole scratch when possible is all part of a beautiful life.
