Nina’s Kitchen

HYDRAFLOW 40oz WATER BOTTLE

I am OBSESSED with my Hydraflow water bottle. Controversial opinion but I prefer it over the Stanley because it comes with stainless steel straws with a silicone tip rather than plastic. I love the silicone tip on the straw because it has a nicer mouth feel than metal. And the only plastic pieces on this are the lid and the handle! The plastic handle is actually nice on hot days or if you take yours into the sauna with you because it doesn’t heat up like the metal body of the bottle, so you can still grab and go without burning yourself. It comes in lots of fun colors as well. Highly recommend!

Having a 40oz bottle also makes it easy to keep track of how much water I’ve had in a day — I know if I drink 2 full bottles, I’ve had 80oz and so on!

40oz stainless steel straws

IF you do have a Stanley or other 40oz water bottle and it has a plastic straw, I suggest you replace them. These are a great option! They fit a 40oz bottle perfectly and the removable silicone tips make them super easy to clean. These even come with 2 cleaning tools to make it even easier.

GLASS TUPPERWARE SET

This is a must for a non-toxic kitchen. Food storage containers come in contact with our food for prolonged periods of time, so here is where material matters. When plastic tupperware comes in contact with hot and or acidic foods, it can leak chemicals into our foods — not good. Swapping to glass is a safe bet to avoid this. You can probably find metal as well, but I like glass because it’s see-through, so you can see what’s inside. This set comes with a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can find the right piece for any amount or type of food.

DISHWASHER TABLETS FROM BRANCH BASICS

Diswashing solutions of all kinds tend to be quite to cocktail of chemicals and fragrances and plastics (for those squishy pods). I love these dishwasher tablets because they are really mindful of the ingredients. They are non-toxic to humans AND biodegradable, contain no harmful preservatives, are plant & mineral-based, and are fragrance-FREE (which is beneficial for our hormones and fertility). Most importantly, they work great!

8” CAST Iron pan

This pan basically lives on my stove, I use it for everything. As a single lady, it’s the perfect size for me. I use it for everything from my morning eggs, to making a burger, to sauteeing veggies. I love the rounded sides for easy spatula use and the handle is great. The handle does get hot, so I do have to use an oven mit, but worth it for a great, affordable cast-iron pan.

STAINless steel mixing bowls

I only use these stainless steel mixing bowls or glass bowls in my kitchen. I love this set because they nest inside of each other for easy storage, they all come with lids, so I can easily pop them in the fridge and use them for food storage, and they have these great silicone bottoms to help them grip the countertop and prevents them from sliding around (the silicone is just on the outside of the bowl).

BAmboo cutting boards

Another place where I don’t like plastics: my cutting boards. With everything except for raw meat, I use these bamboo cutting boards. I love them because they are SUPER durable (I’ve had mine for years), easy to clean (handwashing only), and are gentle on knives, keeping them sharper for longer.

Glasses with Glass Straws

I love these 160z glasses! They are so cute, dishwasher safe, and best of all - they come with glass straws and bamboo lids. I may even use the glass straws more than I use the glasses themselves! So nice to have — and they come with the cleaning tool, so you can clean inside the straws easily. The lids make it easy to take this cup on-the-go or at least on a walk.

No Drip GLass Honey Dispenser

This is just a super cute honey dispenser that takes away the mess and stickiness of the honey-pouring process. I love that it’s glass as well and the design is super cute. You can also use it for any other syrups or liquids.

CEramic Butter Bell

Fun fact - this is how French chefs used to keep butter fresh before refrigerators were invented. I love the look of this modernized ceramic butter bell — and by using water in the base, it creates an airtight seal that allows you to keep your butter on the counter for up to 30 days. Keep in mind that you will need to change the water every few days to keep it fresh.

Glass Citrus Juicer

This thing makes using fresh lemon and lime juice SO much more appealing. It’s super easy to squeeze all the juice out AND it looks cute. I love that this one is glass because I am trying to cut back on my use of plastics in the kitchen (especially around acidic foods like citrus) since we know that plastics can interfere with our hormones. This is a must-have kitchen essential.

Electric Egg Cooker

I was never a fan of these before I had one. I couldn’t understand what could be easier than boiling eggs using a pot and some hot water. But no… THIS is easier. This makes it so simple to have perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs ready in minutes. I love this one in particular because it’s stainless steel, so no hot plastic near the eggs. This thing cooks up to 7 eggs and I use it at least once a week.

Organic Bees Wax Food Wraps

In an effort to reduce my trash waste AND use of plastics in the kitchen (since we know they can mess with our hormones), I switched from plastic wrap to these reusable bees wax food wraps and they work great! Not quite as “clingy” as plastic wrap, but I mostly use them to cover opened packages, and to wrap up half-lemons or onions or cheese. Easy to clean — just rinse in cool water (hot water may melt the wax), I gently wipe with a sponge if needed and then air dry and they are good to reuse!

Silicone Food Storage Bags

Another plastic replacement here! Reusable food grade silicone baggies for all of your food storage and lunch-packing needs. These bags come in different sizes and are held shut with a sliding mechanism, so you never have to worry about accidental spills. These are dishwasher safe, but they are so easy to handwash. The material is nice and thick too, so no odors will leak.

Food Huggers

These are so handy. To store partially used fruits and veggies, nothing makes it easier to be sustainable than Food Huggers. These little silicone food savers make it easy to cover just the “cut” or “open” end of something, while leaving the other half visable, so you know what it is. So perfect for half an onion, half a lemon, an open jar, and so much more! Super easy to handwash and they stack inside of one another for compact storage.