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• Advice from seed to skillet

As I sat down for a mini-picnic the other day, I tore into a “tuna kit”—one of those meals-in-a-box that has crackers, tuna, low fat mayo, relish, a mint, a spoon, and a napkin. After I popped the cardboard top off the box, I had to open the foil packet of tuna, the foil packet of crackers (which were sitting in a plastic tray), and the each packet of condiments (three of them). When I was finished eating, I threw away all of that, as well as my little plastic spoon and napkin. Wow. If I were to eat a tuna kit every day, I could fill my living room with that trash alone in a year. I actually felt guilty for eating a relatively healthy, protein-rich lunch.

As an ardent recycler of almost anything recyclable (including electronics, oil, batteries, paper, aluminum, cardboard, and plastic bags), I realized that there is are reasons why I like growing my own food, or linger in the produce section a bit longer—personal health and the lack of inorganic trash! Produce refuse is biodegradable, and can be used to fertilize your yard or garden, or turned into compost.

Think about it: How well do you actually eat in terms of your daily recommendations of fruits and vegetables? How much trash does your household produce? In our current day, it’s becoming more of a crime to ignore the amount of trash that we create. We have a tendency to not think about where it’s going, because we pack our refuse into pretty white and black bags, and someone comes in the early morning to pick them up and whisks them away to somewhere else.

Here’s an experiment to try: keep your trash for two weeks if you’re in an apartment, or a month if you’re in a house. Keep the trash accessible! But here’s the catch, you need to divide your garbage into sections. Even if you don’t have a recycling service, there are locations to take all of your recyclables, so group them into piles. Let’s say you have a fancy frozen pizza from the supermarket. When you open it up, the box it comes in can be recycled, as is the cardboard round that the pizza sits on. The plastic sheath that encases the pizza is all that is left, which takes up a tiny fraction of the overall “garbage.” Any pizza crusts leftover can be turned into compost (or in my case, fed to a husky that will promptly bury it for future use).

Let’s say you’re supplementing your foods with produce; the bag of French fries is replaced with roasted red potatoes. Congratulations, you have just eliminated a plastic bag, while connecting yourself with a more healthful lifestyle. You don’t have to be a vegetable aficionado to make small alterations in your eating habits. In fact, it probably works best to start with baby steps to see what you like, and how you can make lasting changes.

There are plenty of sinful delights in the produce section, too, like cashews (just make sure to eat a small amount of them to get your good fats), avocados, olives, and a smorgasbord of summer fruits will be coming into season. And guess what? Your pocket book will still feel somewhat heavy, because in case you haven’t noticed, produce is pound-for-pound your best bang for your buck.

The only drawback I’ve noticed is that you might have to spend a little more time preparing your food, but here’s an unexpected bonus: Connecting with your food is a wonderful way to keep track of what you eat. You become more attuned to your surroundings, and you just might gain a new appreciation for your food.

By going to the produce section, you not only save money, gain new insight to your food, and improve your health, you also turn your personal health into global health by eliminating a large amount of inorganic waste. What on earth can be wrong with this picture? I’ll see you in the produce section!