• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Lealou Cooks

Easy Meal Plans for Busy Families

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
  • Work With Me
  • Free Guide: Make Cooking at Home Easier
  • Cooking Classes + Events
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Cart

Want a Greener Lifestyle? Start Here.

by Stephanie

Want a Greener Lifestyle? Start Here.

If you know me well, you know that I’m one of those annoying people who uses a lot of green and organic stuff.

It’s something I care a lot about and sometimes I let people know about it. I get some blank stares.

I get some looks that seem to say: “Oh man, here we go again with the greener lifestyle talk!”

My friends make fun of me because I haven’t had McDonald’s in years… and every once in a while I get responses like: “Oh I would love to be like that, but I just don’t know where to start,” or “It’s too much work.” Or “It’s too expensive.”

I’m here to tell you that it’s not that much work if you take it slowly.

So here are six tips to a greener lifestyle. I’m not an expert, but I have been doing this for a long time so I like to think that I know a little bit.

Switch slowly.

I think the challenge of switching to a greener lifestyle for some people is that they get overwhelmed with all of the products they would like to change and then they just throw their hands in the air and say forgedaboudit!

I can see how that would be overwhelming. There is no shortage of products on the market that claim to be green (and that aren’t…).

My advice is to take one product in your house and switch it. Just one at a time. See that bright blue dish detergent by your sink? Use it up and then when it’s time to get a new bottle, buy something more natural. (I’ll put a list of what I use for everything in another post).

Once you’ve done that… you can go to the next product. It may take a year to switch over everything,  but that’s ok. It took me that long too. But in no time you won’t think twice about it.

Get a local and organic veggie box sent to your house.

One step toward living a greener lifestyle is to get a veggie box sent to your house.

Nothing is easier than having food show up at your door. It kind of takes the guessing out of what to buy in season and what to buy organic because it’s done for you.

In the summer months, almost everything is local which is really nice and every week I get two or three recipes to try that come with the delivery. It’s a win-win in my books.

Buy organic food in bulk.

Buying in bulk helps move toward a greener lifestyle in a couple of ways: if you reuse your bags (or have reusable bulk bags) you can keep packaging garbage out of the landfills.

Many times it’s cheaper than buying one-off packages and it helps you keep your pantry cupboards stocked with things like dried chickpeas, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Oh yes… I hear you cursing under your breath! You don’t have time to cook chickpeas and beans from scratch, baloney! You can soak them overnight and throw them in the slow cooker while you’re at work. Done.

PS: you can buy baking soda in bulk too!

Vinegar and baking soda are the answers to everything. 

Ok maybe not everything, but along with Dr. Bronner’s soap and some essential oils, I use these two items almost exclusively for cleaning. You don’t need bleach!

I bought a spray bottle from the dollar store, filled it half way with pure white vinegar (it’s best to get distilled vinegar) and filled the rest with tap water.

Do you know how much vinegar costs? Four litres is a buck or something. Maybe three dollars. But it takes me six months to go through four litres of vinegar, so I think that’s money well spent.

Change up what goes on your skin.

Conventional shampoos, conditioners, creams, and make-up can be filled with parabens, fragrances, and other chemicals that do nothing positive to your body.

Do yourself a favour and slowly switch these items to more natural and organic body care. You’ll breathe better and you’ll feel better. Something to keep in mind is that natural fragrance doesn’t mean it’s better. Bonus points if products have no-GMO and vegan verifications on the bottles.

Use Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database as your go-to resource. They know what they’re talking about!

Which brings us to the last thing…

Be critical of ingredient labels.

If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it (this can get a little tricky when it comes to floral ingredients! But you’ll know what chemicals are the no-nos when you see them).

I know you’ve likely heard that before, but it really does help when you’re looking for more natural and organic ways of doing things.

The easiest way to buy better products is to steer clear of the middle aisles at the conventional grocery store. Most (and yes I mean most) of the food found in the middle aisles of the grocery store can have ingredients that our bodies can do without.

My rule of thumb for most things I eat and buy is that if it doesn’t provide me decent nutritional value, I try not to buy it.

Obviously, there are times when I get treats, but I do believe that even treats should have some form of nutritional value most of the time. Yes I know I’m boring! Boo me! Again… my friends make fun of me and that’s ok!

Bottom line, if you want to make these types of changes, you can.

Just do it slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed. Look at labels and do your research to see what works best for your family. And remember: just because it’s organic, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Whole foods are best, but read the labels on packaged items and you will start to learn what types of things are better than others. You will eventually figure it out, even if it takes a year or more.


P.S.: Get other lifestyle tips here.

P.P.S: Follow me on Instagram to get weekly tips and tricks!

One last thing: If you haven’t done so already, sign up for my newsletter, get a free week’s worth of dinners that are 30 minutes or less!

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Follow Me
RSS

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: chemical-free, clean green, green living

Before Footer

Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

Don't forget to pick up my new Salads + Bowls reci Don't forget to pick up my new Salads + Bowls recipe book!⁠
⁠
It has 10 super yummy and simple recipes to get you through the summer when you just don't feel like cooking.⁠
⁠
Recipes include:⁠
⁠
💛Balsamic Lentil Salad⁠
💛Three Bean Salad⁠
💛Tropical Chicken Salad⁠
💛Chicken & Apricot Salad⁠
💛Deconstructed Falafel⁠
💛Fennel & Arugula Salad with Chicken⁠
💛BLT Salad Bowls⁠
💛Soba Noodle Bowl⁠
💛Tempeh Taco Bowl⁠
💛Salmon & Rice Bowl⁠
💛Quinoa Radish Bowl⁠
💛Cucumber & Tomato Quinoa Bowl⁠
💛Warm Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad⁠
💛Summer Buddha Bowl⁠
⁠
Pick it up here: https://bit.ly/saladsbowls⁠
or in my profile link here: @lealoucooks⁠
⁠
---⁠
#mealplans #recipebook #easyrecipesathome #healthysalads #buddhabowls #foodies #mimico #hamiltonontario #realfoodheals #summersalads #summerdinner #lunchtime🍴
My neighbour went on a road trip and before she le My neighbour went on a road trip and before she left she gave me some veggies she had in her fridge. ⁠
⁠
I decided to make a simple soup with them along with a few other bits of food I had in the fridge. ⁠
⁠
Here's what I made:⁠
⁠
⭐Nice Neighbour Fridge Soup⭐⁠
⁠
💚3 small ribs of celery⁠
💚1 cup of cabbage, chopped⁠
💚1 cup of kale, chopped⁠
💚1 can of chickpeas⁠
💚1-2 'cakes' of ramen noodles⁠
💚6 cups of water or broth⁠
💚2-3 tbsp tamari⁠
💚3 cloves of garlic⁠
💚1/4 cup cilantro⁠
💚1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil⁠
💚1 tbsp chicken bone broth powder from Organika (optional)⁠
⁠
👉🏻In a heated pan, add the olive oil⁠
👉🏻Saute the celery and cabbage until translucent⁠
👉🏻Add the chickpeas and garlic and cook for 3 minutes being mindful not to burn the garlic.⁠
👉🏻Add the water/broth, tamari and bone broth; cook for 5 more minutes⁠
👉🏻Add the kale and cook until slightly wilted⁠
⁠
While that simmers on low...⁠
👉🏻Boil a pot of water for the ramen noodles and cook according to the package instructions.⁠
⁠
👉🏻Once the noodles are done, add some to a soup bowl and top with soup, add cilantro & eat!⁠
⁠
P.S. This would be SO good with leftover shredded chicken!⁠
⁠
Get more recipes like this one at lealoucooks.com under the recipe tab.
One of the best ways to save time is prepping your One of the best ways to save time is prepping your meal ingredients in advance.⁠
⁠
When the weather gets nicer, I personally want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the sun. ⁠
⁠
Does that sound like you too?⁠
⁠
When you're planning your meals, choosing salad and bowl recipes lets you prep a bunch of ingredients in advance and quickly put them together when it's time to eat.⁠
⁠
Grab your bowl and head outside for dinner!⁠
⁠
Sounds good to me.⁠
⁠
This month, I have a new recipe book called Salad + Bowls. It includes 10 fresh and simple recipes to ease into summer.⁠
⁠
Get it here: @lealoucooks or directly here>> https://bit.ly/saladsbowls⁠
⁠
#easyrecipesathome #cookingathome #quickmeals #quickdinners #summermeals #summersuppers #eatrealfood #foodheals #foodie #torontofoodie #mealplanner #healthyrecipebook #recipebook #instafood #saladsandbowls
New in the shop!⁠
⁠
🌟 Salads + Bowls 🌟⁠
⁠
I love making salads and bowls for meals because most of the ingredients can be prepped in advance and thrown together for quick meals.⁠
⁠
That means you can spend more time outside enjoying the sun and less time inside planning your meals.⁠
⁠
These meals are quick, full of flavour, and as fresh as they can get. They’re also made with nutrient-dense ingredients that will keep you full longer.⁠
⁠
Salads + Bowls Recipe Book comes with 10 delightful recipes to enjoy all summer long.⁠
⁠
Link in profile @lealoucooks or get it directly here>> https://bit.ly/saladsbowls⁠
⁠
--⁠
#easymeals #summermeals #salads #bowls #summersalads #easydinners #eatrealfood #nourishingfood #nutrientdense #familymeals #glutenfree #glutenfreemeals #GTAmealplanner #GTA #mimico #etobicoke #ancaster #hamilton #oakville #Burlington

Footer

About Stephanie

Photo of a white woman with brown hair

Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

Popular Posts

  • Eat what you love.
  • The Best Pots and Pans to Use for Healthy Cooking
  • Etsy Gift Guide 2021
  • Easy Turkey Soup Recipe
  • Roasted Eggplant + Red Peppers with Hummus & Feta

etsy kitchen utensils and linen napkins

Copyright © 2022 · Wellness Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Before you go...

You might be interested in these posts:

Lifestyle

Top 10 Tips on How to Survive the Holidays Feeling Great

fruits, vegetables, food waste
Lifestyle

5 Tips On How to Cut Down On Food Waste

Lifestyle

Five Tips to Get Our Kids to Eat More Nourishing Food