Under 1 kWh Sandwich
I have been living in Milan for almost 2 months and have developed several new habits. One of them is bringing my own packed lunch every day. This helps me save on daily expenses and avoid buying food.
Additionally, I am practicing intermittent fasting, which involves eating only 1–2 meals a day within an 8-hour window, starting at 12:00 PM and ending at 8:00 PM.
However, this enjoyable new habit has its challenges. Preparing my lunch in the morning often makes me late for the train because I sometimes oversleep and need to spend 20–30 minutes preparing my food.
Regarding the 4 kWh per day challenge, I am interested in finding a solution to reduce the electricity usage in my lunch preparation and find a type of lunch that is quicker to prepare.
I wonder how much electricity I use when making lunch every day. So, I estimated the electricity usage for this task.
With this type of lunch, I consume approximately 2.9 kWh of electricity each time, which adds up to about 20.3 kWh per week and 87 kWh per month. In addition to the significant electricity consumption, it also takes 20–30 minutes to prepare the food, requiring me to wake up earlier every day.
Considering these calculations, I am thinking about the type of lunch I should prepare that doesn’t rely on electricity, but still allows me to bring my own quick and cost-effective meal, without purchasing food from a restaurant. One idea is to make a sandwich with fillings that don’t require refrigeration or cooking. This way, I can minimize my electricity usage.
To achieve this, I have purchased several food ingredients that can be stored for approximately 3–4 days without refrigeration:
Not needing refrigeration:
- Whole Wheat Bread
- Fresh Tomatoes
- Cucumber pickles
- Mixed Vegetables
Requiring refrigeration:
- Vegan Meat
- Cheese
To prepare this sandwich, it only takes less than 10 minutes. I don’t need to heat or cook it on the stove.
This food still requires electricity because I need to keep the cheese and vegan meat refrigerated. However, if this factor is calculated based on the average electricity consumption per item in the refrigerator, I assume that it will only require a minimal amount of electricity.
By changing the type of my lunch, I can prepare food faster and use less than 0.5 kWh/day of electricity. (This estimate calculation is based on assumptions, not actual calculations.)
In conclusion, by switching to a sandwich lunch that doesn’t rely on extensive electricity usage, I can significantly reduce both the time and energy consumed in my daily lunch preparation.
With the estimated calculation of less than 0.5 kWh/day, this alternative lunch option proves to be more time-efficient. Additionally, it allows me to save on daily expenses and maintain a healthier eating routine.
I will continue to do this. #minimalmengurangi
