6 PACKAGED SUPERMARKET PRODUCTS YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME IN 15 MINUTES

Surely, there are foods you miss eating since you have started on your plastic reducing journey: products that you can’t find without packaging and that you miss seeing in your kitchen cupboard.

The truth is, we do too. Therefore, this post is dedicated to sharing some simple and quick recipes for making these types of products in your own kitchen avoiding the temptation of buying them in plastic.

We promise that once you try them, you’ll be hooked.

 

6 packaged foods you can make at home in less than 15 minutes

 

• Plant-based “milk”:

The product known as nut or plant-based “milk” that you can find in any supermarket, is really a plant-based beverage based on nuts, cereals or legumes, and you can make it at home with the help of a simple fabric bag like this one. Making your own plant-based milk will take about 10 minutes, and with this short investment of time you will be assured a healthy, refreshing, delicious and additive-free drink.

In this post we tell you how to make it and in this video you can see the process step by step:

VÍDEO

Bag for making plant-based milk

 

• Potato crisps:

We love this recipe for making potato crisps in the oven shared by Beatriz Moliz when we interviewed her about healthy plastic-free snacks.

As fans of a salty snacks we have been missing a plastic-free alternative. But, here it is! A recipe that takes around 10 minutes and will help to avoid packaged potato crisps forever.

You just need to peel and thinly slice (a mandolin makes this job even easier) about 7 potatoes. Then, put them in a bowl and add a spoonful of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt. Once you have mixed all the ingredients together, place the potato slices on an oven tray and bake them for 10 – 15 minutes until they are golden brown.

When they cool you can enjoy your homemade and PLASTIC-FREE potato crisps.

 

• Breadcrumbs:

Did you know that bread is one of the foods that goes to waste most often? So that you have an idea, Spanish households threw away 58.8 million kilos of bread in 2019, about 7 baguettes a second! Therefore, it should seem strange when the supermarkets offer a product that we could make with our own stale bread, don’t you think?

To make breadcrumbs at home, all you need to do is to collect your stale bread in one of these fabric bags, then you can either grate it up manually or using a food processor to do so, afterwards just store it in an air-tight container. It couldn’t be cheaper or more eco-friendly.

Bag for keeping your bread in

• Hummus:

A jar of organic local chickpeas, a pinch of salt and pepper, a dash of olive oil, a little water and 5 minutes in the blender.

This is all you need to make a delicious homemade hummus that will also last a few days in the fridge if you store it in an airtight jar like this one.

If you want to take it to the next level, you can always add a little tahini, a teaspoon of paprika and a handful of sesame seeds. It’s the perfect recipe for giving breakfasts, snacks or entrées a little something extra in just a couple of minutes.

Airtight jars for homemade preserves

 

• Fruit icy poles:

Why buy packaged ice creams when you can make them at home?

If you have some fruit on the counter that is starting to look past its best, don’t throw it away! A few pieces about to go bad is the perfect excuse for making these finger-licking fruit icy poles.

Mix the fruit in a blender, add water if it looks necessary, half fill some glass pots (yoghurt pot size), insert a spoon… and put them into the freezer. They will only take you a few minutes to prepare, however in a couple of hours you will be relishing their delicious taste.

 

• Guacamole:

If you love eating guacamole, but you want to avoid the pre-made varieties because of their plastic packaging and because of all those additives they contain, we have good news. You can make guacamole in 5 minutes using locally grown organic avocados, thereby ensuring a smaller water footprint and less fertiliser and pesticide use.

All you need is a couple of avocados, a small tomato and half an onion. Chop the onion and tomato finely and put them to one side. Then mash the avocados with a fork and mix everything together whilst adding a dash of lemon or lime juice and a little chopped coriander (if you like).

Put your homemade guacamole dip in one of these stainless steel containers and there you have it, a perfect snack to add to a picnic in the park or for taking as an entrée when the pandemic restrictions allow us to go back to having dinner with friends.

 

Did you like these easy recipes for avoiding packaging?

If so, you will love this post about how to make yoghurt without a yoghurt maker.

 

Get behind healthy organic cooking by making your own food plastic-free

Teflon-free fry pans, wooden kitchen utensils, airtight glass jars and bottles..