Plastic-Free Eating, on a Budget
I have been spending $25 a week on food, without buying plastic.
Here’s how:
A grocery shopper’s guide to eating on a budget
A consumer’s guide to plastic-free purchasing:
Get Bulky
o Buy bulk and bring your own containers (reusable/ paper).
o Beans, rice, oats, flour, nuts, peanut/ almond butter, are all inexpensive bulk items that can be used in or paired with almost any meal to bulk it up.
Stay Out of the Aisles
o There are very few plastic-free items in the aisles. When entering an aisle have a clear goal in mind (lest you get caught in the tempting web of plastic-contained items!).
o Almost everything you need can be found on the periphery of the store: Fresh Produce, grains, meat, and dairy, and you will find much less plastic on the periphery of the store.
Make It Yourself
o There are certain items that are packaged in plastic that we cannot live without. With these items buy the ingredients and make yourself.
o If you cannot buy the ingredients because:
~They are in plastic
-Do everything you can to go to the original source. When making hummus I had to do this. Tahini was one of the ingredients. It came in plastic, so I made tahini too!
~Not sold in the stores.
-Find a food substitution. http://www.foodsubs.com/
~You do not know what they are (is that a food label or a chemistry book?)
For example what’s partially hydrogenated soybean oil or disodium phosphate?
-Partially hydrogenated soybean oil is a Trans fat and is not good for the heart or blood vessels. (Add a few Hydrogen atoms to Trans fat and you have plastic – that is basically what plastic is – fully hydrogenated fat.) (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-news/transfats/).
-Disodium phosphate is one sodium ion away from being a cleaning agent (look on the label of any T.S.P. cleaner container).
These are food additives that are not necessary in foods and are unhealthy. So, forego them (unless you want to add a cleaning agent to your hummus - yummy!)
o I have found it very rewarding to make my own food even though its time consuming. I love the creative process, I love using my hands, I feel flattered when people compliment the food I make, and you can make extra food to freeze or store for later. But ultimately when you make it yourself you save money (especially if you follow my next steps).
Shop the Source
o Meet the farmer.
-When was the last time you knew the eye-color of your farmer and food provider?
-Buying from the farm or farmer can save you 50 percent or more and they can package it in paper or in your reusable container, upon request. Plus the farmer can tell you exactly how they handled, raised and grew the food. Meeting the farmer makes your relationship with food personal again.
o Bakery
-Buy your bread at a local bakery. Most the time they use paper bags. If not, bring your own and ask them if you can pull a loaf fresh from the oven. Yum!
o Produce Stands
-Produce stands or discount produce stores not only provide cheaper prices but often have more local foods and fresher foods. Bonus!
o Eat in Season
The cheapest produce in the market is the produce in season. Eat in season, and save money.
I have found that not buying plastic while working with a budget has:
- Brought me a personal relationship with my food.
- Taught me how to cook.
- Made me friends with my ingredients
- Made me afraid of the ingredients I have put in my body before this goal.
- Helped me eat healthier foods, more local foods, and fresher foods.
- Made me excited about life! Who would have thought avoiding plastic while buying my weekly groceries would do this for me? Fantastic!