Revamp Your Grocery List

Whether you go to the supermarket once a week or everyday, there are ways to make sure that your buying benefits the environment, your health, and your wallet. Here are some basic tips that I have picked up from various sources.

1. Avoid individually packaged snack packs. They damage the environment because of the unnecessary packaging, they are more expensive when you compare their unit price to that of a larger bag, and very often they are bad for your health (have you seen one of those ingredient lists?) Here are the ingredients for the 100-calorie Oreo Snack Cakes.

BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, CANOLA AND/OR PALM AND/OR PALM KERNEL OILS, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, FRUCTOSE, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), WATER, SKIM MILK, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE AND/OR CALCIUM SULFATE), CHOCOLATE, MILK, EGG WHITES, SALT, CORN SYRUP, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, EGGS, CORNSTARCH, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), COLOR ADDED, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, SODIUM ALGINATE (THICKENER). CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, EGG, SOY. MANUFACTURED ON EQUIPMENT THAT PROCESSES PEANUT, TREE NUTS.

More about individually-packed products in this post.

2. Use the basics. A lot of everyday foods, such as beans, rice, oatmeal, and potatoes are extremely cheap yet can be made into great dishes. Think about stews, casseroles, side dishes, etc. These foods are better for the environment because they don't require as much manufacturing and processing, and they are very good for your health too.

3. Be picky about organic. Check out this Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to see which foods should be bought organic and which conventional. For example, apples and peaches usually have high levels of pesticides, but onions do not. Do what's best for you wallet and your health.

4. Buy seasonal and local produce. These taste the best and also are usually less expensive. Local produce additionally does not require as much fossil fuel for transportation. Each geographic region has differences in what is "in season," but I know right now where I live peaches and apples are really cheap and taste great.

5. Skimp on the meat. Conventional methods of raising livestock are harmful to the environment. Most people in general get more than enough protein, so cutting back on meat a few times a week should not be harmful, and even could be beneficial for your health, since your cholesterol and saturated fat intake would decrease. Check out my previous posts of Reasons for Eating Less Meat and Buy Organic Meat.

I hope some of this information was helpful to you and will guide you during your next grocery shop. Do you have any tips of your own about how to save money, eat healthy, and help the environment? Share them below in the comments section!

This image is from Spunky Mommy.

Buy Organic Meat

There's this magazine called Natural Awakenings that I pick up for free from my local library. It has all sorts of good environmental articles. The edition I just got has a really great article about how we should buy organic meat and dairy. I would like to share with you some very persuasive reasons why.

• Animals raised under the category of organic cannot be fed antibiotics, genetically modified foods, growth hormones, or other such drugs. These animals eat organic feed. They are shown to be significantly healthier than non-organic animals.

• There is usually more humane treatment for animals on an organic farm. They sometimes are free-range, unlike factory animals which are treated like objects and trapped in small pens or cages.

• Sustainable farms recycle nutrients by using manure as fertilizer. However, industrial farms produce so much of this manure and usually don't utilize it so it becomes a health risk, able to contaminate wells and waterways.

• A lot of organic agriculture uses methods such as crop rotation to improve the fertility of the soil instead of synthetic fertilizers. Read my post here to learn about the dangers of too much fertilizer.
  

• Organic farms use 70% less energy than factory farms. Buying from local farms also reduces the energy used by transportation. Check out my post here to learn more about buying local.
  

Organic meat does cost more, I will admit. However, that is just another incentive to eat less of it. If you want to know the reasons that we should decrease meat intake, click here. So, what do you think about organic meat? Does the cost outweigh the benefits?

This image is from Electron Blue.

Reasons for Eating Less Meat

I was just perusing through my newest copy of Reader's Digest this morning, and I came this little excerpt titled "Animal Planet." It gave out some astounding facts, which, though probably weren't news, still amazed me.

1. 60 billion animals a year are raised for food, meaning 10 animals per person. If you think about it, Americans probably have more than 10 animals, because billions of people live in poverty and do not always have access to fresh meat.

2. Growing corn and eating is expends 2.2 calories for every 1 calorie of protein yielded. But take that corn through the manufacturing process to produce feed for livestock, and take into account everything else that the livestock consume throughout their life (electricity, water, transportation), and it takes 40 calories to get the same 1 calorie of protein.

3. Steak dinner for 4 people = driving in a SUV for four hours and at the same time leaving all the lights on at your house.

4. Average American meat eater produces per year 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas than a non-meat eater. Yikes!

So does everyone have to become a vegetarian? I don't believe so - it's all based on your beliefs and values. However, there are some changes we all can make to ease the above statistics. Maybe try eating one non-meat meal a day, or one non-meat day a week. Cut back on portions a little bit - 3 oz. is a serving according to the FDA, not that 20 0z. steak the restaurant served. Try out some substitutes such as tofu and bean burgers. When you eat meat, try to find local sources or companies that don't use added hormones and use humane practices.

The above image, from MSN, is of a steak that is 72 oz.! Craziness.

So, is anyone a vegetarian? What is your reason?

Minimize Cooking Time

This tip is so simple, it almost seems silly, but if you get into the habit, it could really work.

Remember when you learned about surface area vs. area in elementary school? My class did an "experiment" with sugar cubes, seeing which size dissolved first in the glass of water. To minimize cooking time, use the same principle - maximize the surface area.

For example, if you make mashed potatoes and you first boil the potatoes, it really doesn't matter how big you chop the potatoes, right? However, I see some recipes that call for boiling whole potatoes. That takes a lot of time! If you just take a few minutes to cut the potato into cubes, you can drastically cut down on the boiling, saving you on time and energy bill.

The same idea works with cake mixes. If you look on the back cover, you see that if you use a cupcake tin instead of a 9x12 pan, you can shave off a few minutes of your baking time. Ovens do require a lot of energy, whether you are on gas or electricity, so make cupcakes instead of cake next time!

So if you want to save a bit of energy, make flatter cookies instead of dense, thin crust pizzas as opposed to thick crust, use thin spaghetti pasta instead of penne, etc. Barbeque thinner cuts of meat instead of a huge steak. Squish down beef patties when making hamburgers. It may seem silly but in the long run it will save energy, and I think the Earth right now will appreciate any little bit of help it can get.

This image is from dkimages.

Subscribe to a Local CSA

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. According to the United States Department of Agriculture,

It is a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

From Local Harvest:

Many farms offer produce subscriptions, where buyers receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, meats, or any sort of different farm products.

A CSA, (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.

A CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall. The number of CSAs in the United States was estimated at 50 in 1990, and has since grown to over 2000

This is great for the environment because it supports local farmers and allows you to eat local, seasonal foods. By purchasing your groceries from a CSA instead of a huge corporation, you are decreasing the amount of pesticides, fertilizer, packaging, transportation, fossil fuels, and all that jazz that is required for conventional produce. Supporting local farmers also helps sustain and conserve the local biodiversity of the area.

Additionally, the overall cost usually is easier on your wallet too, and you are able to experience a wide variety of nutritious produce that you otherwise might not take the time to pick up.

Have you had any experiences with CSA? Do you find it a convenient and healthy way to get produce?

These images are from Eggs on a Sunday.

Plant Some Beans

Okay, finally a follow-up to my last post! What can you do to lessen your fertilizer use? Well, fertilizers mostly provide nitrogen in a form plants can use, and the element nitrogen is an essential compound in living things. Even though the atmosphere is 78% nitrogen gas, plants cannot utilize in that form.













Enter into the picture nitrogen-fixing bacteria! These bacteria are able to transform nitrogen gas into various compounds such as ammonium ions and nitrate, which plants are then able to intake. Well, where can you find these special little critters? It turns out, they like living in the roots of the legume family. Therefore, if you plant lots of beans in your garden along with your veggies, or alternate beans with the other plants, your soil will probably have more nitrogen and you won't need as much fertilizer.

However, beans are great in their own right. So many varieties exist- black, navy, soy, chickpeas, kidney, etc. They are so nutritious - with high protein and fiber, vitamins and minerals. You can definitely find lots of recipes - not just good old baked beans.

Here's a great website, The Gardener's Network, that has a special page about beans.

I was also perusing the Internet for some bean recipes and ideas to show you guys, and here's what I found- The Bean Bible! I never knew there was such a thing. Well, I guess you can find anything online these days.

Here's a great looking black bean burger recipe. Healthy and easy!



The image at the top is from the Latino Nutrition Coalition. What's your favorite bean or bean recipe? Have you ever grown beans?

Eat the Right Fish

We've all heard the news over and over again- fish contains omega-3's that help brain function, fish is low in saturated fat, fish are high in protein, people who eat a diet with fish live longer, fish is low in cholesterol...but what kind of fish? There's salmon, tuna, mackerel, tilapia, mahi mahi, cod, flounder, sardines, anchovies, swordfish, and a whole ocean of other kinds! Which do you eat and which picks are best for the environment?

One major concern is overfishing. The stocks in the oceans are being depleted at a far faster rate than they can recover. If you buy and consume the species that are in abundance, you won't only being helping biodiversity - you might be saving a few bucks too.

Here are the best fish to eat:

1. Atlantic Herring
2. Pollock
3. Crawfish (farmed)
4. Tilapia (farmed)
5. Alaska Salmon
6. Atlantic Mackerel
7. Mahi Mahi (poll and troll caught)
8. Dover Sole
9. Catfish (farmed)
10. Black Sea Bass

This Seared Pollock Fillet with Carmelized Onions recipe from the Washington Post looks delicious and is healthy!

Here are the worst:

1. Caviar

2. Shark

3. Atlantic Salmon

4. Snapper

5. Halibut

6. Orange Roughy

7. Chilean Sea Bass

8. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

9. Grouper

10. Atlantic Cod

The above info was taken from The Blue Ocean Institute.

Also, you should watch out for mercury and PCB levels. These dangerous chemicals bioaccumulate and biomagnificate up the food chain, meaning usually that bigger fish have higher levels.

Highest levels of mercury

1. Shark

2. Swordfish

3. King Mackerel

4. Tuna steaks

5. Canned tuna

Lowest levels of mercury

1. Flounder

2. Haddock

3. Trout (farmed)

4. Salmon (wild Pacific)

This data is from Environmental Working Group.

So it seems like shark is a bad option, not that I know of anyone who eats shark on a daily basis. People who eat a lot of tuna should be cautious though. The main idea is that fish is a great nutrional choice but some kinds are better than others. The top image is courtesy of Simple Healthy Recipes.

Visit a Farmers Market!

This time of year is great for visiting Farmers Markets! Do you have one near you? Here are some fabulous reasons for dropping in and getting great food!

1. Support for local farmers: small farmers really are suffering these days. I read somewhere that a huge percentage (like 80%) of our food is grown by big corporations, and the little guys are getting pushed out. Some of these people have been on their farms for generations. Supporting the local economy really helps cut down on the massive transportation and packaging energy costs of big corporations.

2. Cost: usually the produce and homemade goodies found at farmers markets cost way less than at a conventional grocery store. The reason most likely is because large companies have to pay a lot for shipping and transportation, plus there are middlemen involved (ex. Kroger has to buy the oranges from a company in Florida and still has to make a profit).

3. Health: a lot of the produce sold by local farmers are grown organically, without any pesticides. According to WebMD, these foods should be bought organic as often as possible, since they usually have the highest level of pesticides:

Organic items worth buying as often as possible: Apples, baby food, bell peppers, celery, cherries, dairy, eggs, imported grapes, meat, nectarines, peaches, pears, poultry, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.

4. Taste: I find that locally grown produce tastes so much better and fresher. I mean, it probably was just in the ground a day or two ago, right? Conventionally grown produce has to be packed, transported, stored, etc., before it makes it to your kitchen. Plus, sometimes chemicals are added to delay the ripening, or the fruit is covered in waxy layer. At a farmers market, the produce may not be standard size and shape, but the taste is much sharper and fresher.

This image is from Active Rain.
What are your favorite finds at your nearby farmers market?

Don't Waste

Remember how your mother always told you clean your plate, because children elsewhere are starving of hunger? The better strategy, I have learned, is to take less in the first place. This starts way before you serving yourself a meal - back to the grocery store.

Always check for expiration dates and serving sizes. Once I bought a huge bag of flaxseed because it was on sale and I needed a tablespoon of it for a recipe. Well, I forgot one detail- nobody in my family uses flax and nothing else I make requires flax! That sad bag sat on my fridge shelf for three months until it was past the "best used by" date and was tossed into the trash. Really, what a waste of food and money.

Remember how you learned in elementary school that the Native Americans were in tune with nature and respectful of everything, meaning they used the whole animal/plant whenever they killed anything? Well, I'm not suggesting that you demand the bones with your deli meat and carve jewelry, but there are so many things that we throw away without realizing its uses! For example, peels on veggies and fruits can be made into compost, as explained in this previous post.

Another thing many people throw away is the stem of broccoli! That is my favorite part of the vegetable - it's crispy and crunchy when made in a stir-fry. Just peel away the hard outer layer, chop up, and throw into a stir-fry. Most parts of vegetables can be eaten in some form- just today, I learned that the leaves of a pumpkin plant are delicious and nutritious after a quick turn in the pan with some olive oil and salt. Eggshells are good for plants if you crush them around the surface of the dirt.

Some people even eat the shells of shrimp and crabs! I'm definitely not to that step yet- eugh! The point being, a lot of the things people think of as trash and throw away can be used in some way or another. This image is from Innovate Infinitely.

Organize Your Fridge

Did you know refrigerators are the largest consumers of energy in your home? At first when I heard this fact, I was surprised, but then I thought about it. They have to keep their temperature freezing cold all day and all night long, no matter what the surrounding temperature is. Not only that, but many times a day people open the doors and stare at the innards, wondering what to eat (I know I'm guilty of this.) Lastly, hot food is sometimes placed into the fridge, which consumes even more energy in order to cool down the food.

Here are some tips I have found all over the web, including from Helium, Associated Content, and Consumer Energy.

1. Don't put hot food directly into the fridge. This not only uses up more energy, but also is an unsafe practice for foods such as chicken and fish.

2. Keep your fridge full! This helps it keep a cool temperature. You can place ice packs or water-filled containers inside too. But don't completely stuff it, because this may interfere with air flow.

3. Switch off features such as ice makers when not in use. These add-ons can increase your energy usage by 20%.

4. Check door seals to make sure they shut tightly. You can easily test this by sliding in a dollar bill between the door and shutting it. If the dollar slides out smoothly, the seal is not closing tight enough.

5. Think about what you want to grab out and on what shelf it is located before opening the fridge door, instead of standing mindlessly at the open fridge. Hopefully this will make the process faster.

6. Label leftovers if you keep them in Tupperware so you can easily grab and shut.

7. Keep the coils clean. This practice can improve efficiency by up to 30%.

8. The fridge should be between 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Any colder and you are probably just wasting energy. The freezer should be around 3 degrees.

9. Brush off dust around the condenser under the fridge to encourage air flow.

10. Consider removing the refrigerator lights if there is already plenty of light in the room.

I know this is an area that I can definitely improve on, and I hope you all will find some of these tips helpful as well! This image is from Corbis.

Create a Compost Pile

Maybe I'm just a little strange, but sometimes I feel bad just throwing out fresh vegetable and fruit scraps into the garbage. I mean, that stuff is natural and decomposable! However, there is no way those bits will break down in a landfill, where it will be pressed down without oxygen and bacteria.

I could get a pig and feed it all my peelings and scraps...but I think I could run into some problems. An easier way to "recycle" your veggie bits and ends is to create a compost pile! If you have a garden, then the compost later can be used as organic fertilizer for your plants. I'm no authority on the ins and outs of composting, so I have compiled a list of sites I have found really helpful below.

How to Compost- this is a extremely comprehensive website for beginners and experts alike. There are lots of general tips, and also some specialized information. For those that love science, the site includes a section about the the scientific details, such as carbon-to-nitrogen ratios.

Tree Hugger has a fairly basic but straightforward guide to composting.

An interesting site, Journey to Forever, that has articles on composting, as well as "humanure?" I'd say no to the latter part.

If you live an apartment, or have no backyard, visit Mahalo, for a guide on how to compost indoors (without the smell)!

More indoor composting at Tiny Choices.

As you can see, there are various ways to compost, suitable for every lifestyle. Don't limit yourself! This image is from Denver Recycles. It looks so earthy, doesn't it? I wish my soil looked like that.

Avoid Individually-packaged Products

Individual packages are all the craze these days. Hello, 100-calorie packs, fruit snacks, oatmeal packets, mini-bags of pretzels, ice cream cups, ketchup, sugar, etc.? I've even seen cute little packets of peanut butter and saran-wrapped microwavable potatoes.

Of course, these little packages of joy are very convenient and portion-controlled. However, they do take a toll on the environment and on your wallet.

More plastic and other materials are needed to create the excess packaging. Because of this, more oil is used to create the plastic, and more fossil fuels/energy is used for the production. Also, ultimately more trash ends up in our landfills and sidewalks. These items also cost a lot more per unit. For example, a large bag of Cheetos is cheaper than a pack of several smaller bags.

In the end, I believe that portion-controlled packaging actually encourages an unhealthy lifestyle. Why, you ask? Well, most of these goods are processed and relatively nutrient-poor. However, because of the portion control, people believe that they are eating healthy.

Steer clear of these convenience foods! If you need portion control, buy a larger bag and divide it up yourself. You can reuse your own little plastic baggies and save some money. It's the lesser of two evils. However, the best thing for the environment would be to avoid most processed and packaged foods and eat naturally and locally.

This image is from ABC News.

Chose local foods

Have you ever paid attention to where that jar of peanuts came from? The bag of juicy navel oranges? How about that canister of oats in the cabinet?

Some of the foods we eat everyday come from all over the country and even the world. There's fresh fruit from California, salmon from the Atlantic, crackers from Kansas, and bell peppers from Chile. Of course, it is a tribute to our modern technology and transportation that we can have such easy access to such a variety of products year round.

However, the further a food is from you, the more energy is required to transport it to your local supermarket. Think of the thousands of miles that specialty bottle of olive oil had to travel from Europe! These trips consume gallons and gallons of gasoline, and release harmful air pollutants into our atmosphere.

Next time, when you are looking at cookies, chose the company located closer to your home. Canned beans from Ohio or Siberia? Ohio would be the better bet, unless, of course, you happen to live near Siberia. Many times local products will also be cheaper, reflecting the lesser amount of fossil fuel needed. Produce often will be fresher if bought locally and seasonally as well.

Some people are even taking this philosophy to an extreme, refusing to eat food from outside a certain radius of their home. Check out this website http://100milediet.org/.

I'm not advocating such a drastic approach (Of course, you can always give it a try), but truly, such a simple change as scanning the labels of two nearly identical products can make a huge difference. Some specialty products you may find are truly better from a certain location, but for most generic items, you will not notice the different between two brands. But the environment will.