Making the most of
life in the kitchen
Improving life at home
There’s no place for waste in the kitchen, and these tips can help you embrace a sustainable lifestyle in everyday routines.
Seasonal Eating
plan your meals around good whole foods that come from nature >>
Grocery Shopping
BUY LESS, KEEP FOOD FRESH LONGER, maximize your time and budget >>
Meal Planning
eliminate kitchen waste, save time and make preparing easy >>
Design Your Garden
extend your culinary creativity outside the kitchen door with a garden based on your family’s needs >>
Farm to Freezer
preserve the flavor, texture and the colors of your garden’s bounty with proper freezing tips >>
Sustainable and seasonally fresh
From the earliest spring vegetables to the peak of your garden’s bounty, now is the best time to plan meals around the good, whole foods that come straight from nature. Take advantage of the abundant growth by incorporating fruit and vegetables that are kinder to your body–and the earth–than the heavier dishes of winter. Our Yummly brand makes it easy!
What to eat in April
April showers the earth with the goodness and hope of starting new as tender green peas and fresh asparagus become available. Take advantage of treats in early spring with inspiration from Yummly.
Learn more here
What to eat in May
As farmers’ markets open and come alive with color, there’s even more inspiration to incorporate the sweet flavors and textures the earth gives us. Enjoy the spinach, strawberries and arugula in May along with some more recommendations from Yummly.
Find them here
What to eat in June
Gardens begin overflowing with even more possibilities that make your life in the kitchen easier. Yummly shares ideas on choosing and prepping the healthy fruit and vegetables of June.
Find them here
Did you know
Yummly can personalize your recipe preferences? So whether you’re looking for new ways to repurpose leftovers or use up what you have in your pantry, Yummly offers an abundance of ways to help make no place for waste in the kitchen. Vegetarian, paleo, or keto? No problem, choose a diet you follow. Ingredients you don’t want? Filter them. Want to eat healthy, save time, money, or even learn new skills? Set your cooking skill level and even your family goals. Enter the ingredients you have on hand and Yummly will give you recipes to make.
Maximize your grocery shopping
Making fewer grocery trips will help conserve energy with the right plan. But how do you make the most of the food you buy to ensure it doesn’t go to waste? Here are a few tips from our brand experts.
Keep food fresher longer
- Wrap bread in a dish towel and put it in a paper bag or use a bread box to keep it fresher longer. The bread actually goes stale faster in the refrigerator than it does at room temperature, so keep it out of the fridge.
- Keep your meat and fish in the middle of the refrigerator–the coldest part–to extend its shelf life.
- Wrap lettuce in aluminum foil to keep it fresh longer. A plastic storage container or wrapping the head in a damp paper towel will also help.
- Herbs stay fresh for longer if you wrap them with a paper towel.
Here’s the article on how to keep fresh food lasting longer.
Purchase less
- Think about your weekly menu in advance. Which days will you be at home, will the children be eating with you, or at school?. This way, you can cook the right amount. Also, why not try batch cooking on the weekend?
- Write a shopping list: Look in the fridge and cabinets before shopping and write down what you need. Don’t deviate from your list.
- Buy fruit and vegetables in small quantities (less and more often) and resist special offers. It may seem like a good deal at first, but it’s not if you have to throw away half of it.
- Check expiration dates. Always look at the packaging for use-by dates.
Click here to visit our KitchenAid UK website for more tips to reduce waste in the kitchen.
Easy meal planning
Want to reduce waste, and save time and money in the kitchen? Follow a meal plan!
Check your pantry
See if you can plan meals based on what you have on hand. Yummly makes it easy by offering a pantry search tool for recipes based on ingredients you already have.
Jot down any ingredients you don’t have, and add them to your shopping list immediately to eliminate two trips to the grocery store.
Stock up on staples
As you intentionally begin planning your meals, it saves time and money having your favorite staples on hand.
Pasta, rice, canned chopped tomatoes, stocks and grains are always helpful to have on hand, and then check recipes for commonly used herbs and spices. Keep some of your favorite dried spices in your pantry, but stay mindful of expiration dates.
Start to prep
Choose a day to chop, seed, cook and freeze as needed for later in the week. Use this time to prepare sauces too. Blend and store them in portions for use throughout the week.
The night prior can also serve as a great time to get started. Use the time to wash and chop vegetables,and make sure utensils are clean and ready for meal-making the next day. The reward will be less time in the kitchen during the week, and more time with your family.
Get dinner on the table with ease using Yummly’s integrated shopping list and meal planner.
- Get personalized meal plan recommendations.
- Add ingredients for planned meals with a click.
- Take your list on the go or order groceries for delivery.
Beyond the kitchen door
More time at home this past year brought out a creative streak in many of us that extended beyond our kitchens and continue to grow in the garden. Nurture that creativity with a garden outside your kitchen door. Depending on space, you can start with simple containers and grow herbs, strawberries, and tomatoes, or even reap a harvest of cucumbers, peppers, beans, green onions and eggplant with a simple terrace or patio garden.
Feeling even more adventurous? Our KitchenAid team will surely motivate you to design a garden based on your needs! Find your inspiration here.
From farm to freezer, preserve the harvest of your garden
Make sustainable, healthy meals throughout the year by preserving a portion of your garden’s bounty by properly freezing your food. Choose high-quality, fresh fruit and vegetables, harvest them in the cooler temperatures of the morning, and then wash thoroughly in cool water. A quick blanch vegetables can also help preseve flavor, texture and color.
What’s the best freezer temperature to store food? Whirlpool brand offers great tips here.
To learn more about freezing, check out Food Preservation 101.
Looking to buy a new freezer? Chill with Indesit brand’s buying guide to help you decide which features are best for you.