Written by Adele Halsall (republished from Everythings Peachy Blog)
We often read about sustainable eating.
Shopping locally, eating in season, lowering our amount of packaged foods etc. are all important parts of a sustainable food chain.
But what about the plates, bowls, pots and pans we use to prepare and enjoy our food? Surely we have a role to play there as well.
I admit, I’m definitely not one for hunting down second-hand crockery in charity shops or eBay…no matter how romantic and awesome I think this would be to do and how many beautiful pieces there are out there.
But when I saw these incredible coconut bowls from coconutbowls.com, I fell in love with the idea of eating out of nature. Literally.
What are Coconut Bowls?
Based in the EU, Coconut Bowls are manufacturers of beautiful, handmade eating bowls made from the shells of real coconuts.
That’s right, you heard me. A bowl made out of a coconut.
Genius, right?
These bowls not only save millions of coconut shells being wasted each year, they’re also completely natural, BPA and toxin-free, synthetic-free, plastic-free, safe, eco-friendly….and, they look AMAZING.
Now you can do something good for the planet AND have the most instagrammable smoothie bowl ever
The Journey of a Coconut Bowl
Coconuts are incredible gifts of nature, having so many uses and properties.
Once coconuts have been used for their flesh, water, sugar and oil, however, 99% of the shells are usually discarded and burned. This contributes significantly to CO2 and methane emissions…not to mention being a health risk for animals and humans.
So Coconut Bowls reclaim these shells, before they are cleaned, cut and sanded by the workshop craftsmen. After that they are then finished with a polish of organic virgin coconut oil.
Every coconut bowl is unique, featuring all of the cracks, marks, dents and imperfections of a real coconut. It’s like having a special handmade bowl created just for you, directly from the earth itself.
Coconut Bowls also support fair-trade practices, with workshops in Indonesia and Vietnam. The company has plans to expand this over the next couple of years.
Sustainable Crockery: The Future
The Coconut Bowls guys sell three types of coconut bowl.
One is their Original coconut bowl, which has been sanded and polished on the inside and out, to create a smooth, glossy bowl.
The second is their Natural coconut bowl, which is smooth on the inside but remains rough and textured on the outside – like a real coconut.
Their third (ands newest) bowl is their White bowl. This bowl remains textured on the outside but has a smooth, FDA-approved white lacquer on the inside, making it look even more coconut-like. You’ll be transported to a tropical paradise when you eat out of this!
On their website you can also find other eco-friendly goodies, such as sono spoons and forks, bamboo straws and coconut chopsticks (gimme a pair!). So be sure to check out the full range.
For every coconut bowl sold, Coconut Bowls donate one to Plants Not Plastics – an incredible initiative that hopes to replace all plastics with more biodegradable alternatives, made from plants. Check out their website to find out more.
Eating Out of Nature
I was lucky to be gifted a couple of my very own bowls (one natural, one original) from the lovely Coconut Bowls themselves. I’m loving them so far and am using them for all my nana ice cream, raw cereal bowls, bircher mueslis and noodles!
You can find two of my creations – raw cereal bowl and citrus soba noodle salad – over on the Coconut Bowls blog.
Other gorgeous things to put in your bowls include:
- Stir fries
- Sushi rice
- Granola
- Smoothie bowls
- Desserts
- Curries
- Salads
- Yoghurt & fruit
- Hummus
- Guacamole.
These bowls are designed to accommodate any warm or cold item. So get imaginative, fill them up and snap a photo! #coconutbowls.