Look around your kitchen and you’ll likely see various kitchen essentials made of all different materials, including woods and plastics. In this article, we’re going to shed light on why bamboo is an amazing material that can help you revamp your kitchen to be better for all of your needs, and also better for the planet.
We’ll also talk about how this awesome renewable resource is a great choice when it comes to your weekly meal prep needs (hint: it’s easier AND safer)!
If you aren’t yet using bamboo in your kitchen, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. Here are some great reasons to make the switch to bamboo wherever you can…
5 Reasons to Switch to Bamboo in the Kitchen
1) Its Antibacterial and Antifungal
It’s very important when you’re preparing food in the kitchen that you keep good “food safety” in mind. What does this mean? You want all the surfaces that you put food on to be safe for use – and this includes cutting boards and food scales. This is especially since you might be using them for many different types of foods, some of them raw.
Bamboo is naturally antibacterial and antifungal – which means that it’s resistant to different types of bacteria and fungus that may come across it from foods (1,2). This means if you have raw meat on your cutting board or food scale and then add veggies, you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination like you would with other material types.
While many people think that a plastic cutting board is best for raw meat since it can just be put in the dishwasher, this method may actually distribute bacteria onto other surfaces. One study showed that those using wood cutting boards were much less likely to contract Salmonella, while those using plastic boards were much more likely to contract it (3)!
But, the type of wood board you choose also matters. While some types of wood boards can crack, allowing room for water and bacteria to spread, this won’t happen with bamboo since it’s so durable, which we’ll talk about next!
2) It’s More Durable Than Other Woods
As mentioned, another great thing about bamboo is that compared to other woods and even plastic, it’s extremely strong and durable. Bamboo fiber has been shown to be much stronger than timber and even maple wood, which is one of the strongest hard woods. In fact, it has even been studied in an effort to help reinforce concrete for construction purposes and was found to be highly useful (4)!
What this means for your kitchen equipment is that when you choose bamboo for a cutting board, for instance, it doesn’t get marked up by a knife the way many other boards can. In addition, as mentioned, it resists water seeping into the material, which can warp it and wear away at it, causing it to crack.
3) It’s Good For The Earth
Next, bamboo is simply good for the Earth! Just as we need to take care of our own health, we also need to take care of the health of the planet – for us and for future generations. It’s important to keep that in mind when purchasing all products, especially when our little choices can actually make a big difference.
When it comes to bamboo, if we all started using some of this material, especially over plastic where we can, it would make a big impact on the health of our world.
Why is bamboo so good for the earth? It’s a completely biodegradable resource that grows super-fast, without the need for fertilizers or pesticides, and with very little water needed compared to other plants. It also produces more oxygen than other plants!
This is why you should make the switch from plastic to bamboo in places you can, and also instead of some other woods. While a normal bamboo shoot can become fully mature in 3-5 years, maple trees can take over 30 years to fully mature!
4) It Looks Great On Your Countertop
Next is a completely aesthetic reason to choose bamboo… it’s very appealing to the eye and looks great wherever you use it! From bamboo floors to bamboo kitchen tools on your countertop, the material gives a sleek, clean, natural look that goes with any type of décor you already have in place.
5) It Lasts Longer
Finally, when you decide to invest in bamboo, with proper care your investment can last much longer than many other alternatives, for all of the reasons we mentioned above. Because bamboo is so durable and resists cracking and bacteria, you don’t have to worry about water damage or staining of the material. And because it won’t chip as easily or leave knife marks like can happen on plastic, it will stay looking nice and new.
How to Use Bamboo as Part of Your Meal Prep
Now that you know a little more about why we’re huge fans of bamboo, let’s talk about how you can use it as part of your healthy regular meal prep. Start by getting rid of your old cutting boards that can potentially expose you to unwanted bad bacteria, and give those boards a smart refresh with bamboo.
And the next kitchen essential we’re going to tell you about is LIFE-CHANGING… a digital food scale. Not only is this one kitchen essential that you might not have but definitely need in our opinions, it’s another kitchen tool that you can get in… you guessed it… BAMBOO! And we highly recommend it!
7 Reasons You Need a Bamboo Food Scale
When it comes to weekly meal prep to help you meet your health and weight loss goals, a food scale can assist you in a number of different ways! In addition, it can simply make the entire process of preparing and cooking food MORE ENJOYABLE, and who doesn’t want that?
In this article on how you can use a scale for weight loss, we go more into depth on why we recommend one, but let’s go over a few basics here…
A Food Scale Is A Kitchen Essential That Can Help You:
- Measure out proper portions effortlessly (no more trying to guess on foods like meat, nuts, fruits and more)
- Get correct serving sizes on ingredients when cooking (making your recipes turn out so much better!)
- Stay within set calorie goals (ensuring you get the right amount of ingredients, especially for high-fat and high-calorie foods)
- Enhance your baking game (when it comes to baking, it’s easy to add a little too much of this or not enough of that, but measuring by weight with a food scale makes it exact)
- Make cleaning up much easier (you no longer need all those measuring cups, spoons and bowls, instead you can use just ONE bowl or plate on your food scale)
- Streamline meal prep (measure out ingredients in the same containers you plan to keep them in, making the process faster and more efficient)
- Reduce stress and save time in the kitchen (let a high-quality bamboo food scale do all the hard work for you so you can relish in the process!)
Want to learn how to properly use a food scale to help with all your meal prep needs? Check out this article for help!
And don’t forget to choose bamboo! One thing is certainly clear… When you utilize bamboo for your kitchen essentials, including your cutting boards and food scale, you will be rewarded in having a safe and efficient cooking and prepping space that allows you to follow a healthy diet and meet your goals!
Are you utilizing bamboo in the kitchen already? Let us know in the comments below where you love using bamboo!
