It All Started With Plastic

It All Started With Plastic.

by Lauren Hirt
My Nutrition

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

These days, in My Temporary Life, I pay attention. I’m where I want to be instead of focusing on “getting here” as before. So, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room: Plastic and my food.

Plastic is smothering our food. Go into any grocery store, and you will see plastic on almost every item on every shelf.

I’m making drastic changes in my food and nutrition choices to eliminate plastic packaging. I’m not basing this decision on in-depth research or statistics. I know plastic packaging is made from crude oil, natural gas, and coal. And I don’t want that in my food. So, eliminating plastics is Step 1.

PLASTIC IS USEFUL

I get it. From a corporate perspective, plastic is critical to our modern food supply chain.

Customers can easily see the quality of the food on the shelves.
Plastic protects food from environmental bacteria and limits product leakage.
Plastic packages are great for grab-and-go purchases.
Plastic packaging is automated, so machines can quickly assemble and distribute massive quantities of food.
Plastic-packed modules are perfect for stocking grocery store shelves.

We can only have the variety, quantity, and quality of food currently available in our food supply chain if plastic is used. Unless you prioritize your food and plan to go to extremes to collect and make your own food, plastic will be a part of your food environment. That’s probably 99% of us.

THE PROCESSED FOODS EXPERIENCE

Plastic is everywhere, even when we have the best intentions: Yogurt, cheese, and tofu.

Butcher shops? Plastic. Freshly baked bread? Plastic. Dutch cheese? Plastic. I tried to find plastic-free cheese in specialty cheese shops, but they also wrap their cheese in plastic.

Organic foods are packaged in plastic, too: vegetables, honey, beans, dried fruit, crackers, pasta, cereal, nuts, and so forth.

THE TORTILLA PROJECT

I like having tortillas around for a quick meal. And, of course, tortillas in stores are sealed in plastic. I’ve looked and found no other options. So, I tried making my own as my first anti-plastic effort. Yes, it takes some time, but it’s also fun. I like working with the dough, and the taste is incredible!

Making tortillas is a special ritual for me: I got my first apron, a big beautiful bowl, a designated cutting board, a rolling pin, and a nifty cast iron grill to make the process as pleasurable as possible.

There are small tortillas to go with soup and big ones for wraps. I even make sweet potato tortillas for peanut butter and applesauce breakfasts. I make big batches for the freezer, and I take a few out as needed.

Lastly, I know what’s not in my tortillas – preservatives and additives.

This tortilla test was a success, and I frequently whip up batches for the freezer. The big question is: What about all the other foods I like to eat, and what do I do next? As it turns out, Netflix has answers.

NETFLIX

I’ve been a vegan for years before, so I know all the tricks to living a vegan lifestyle. Because of the plastic issue, I have not bought much meat in the Netherlands, so I’ve actually been migrating to vegan for the last few months.

And then I subscribed to Netflix again.

Since I don’t have confidence in my available food, I watched “You Are What You Eat, A Twin Experiment.” The documentary was a captivating reminder of why I embraced veganism before. If you’re curious, you can watch the program and come to your conclusions. I’m not trying to convince you to become a vegan. It’s a choice I’m moving toward, but I’m not rushing to get there. You do you.

ECOPLAZA IS A GOOD FIT

Last week, I got off the tram early for a reconnaissance visit at ECOPLAZA, an organic store that offers high-end food with less plastic. I loaded up on things in glass jars like dates, nuts, honey, tea, and food in paper packaging like flour, oatmeal, and frozen peas. Some foods like cheese were still wrapped in plastic, but I’ll probably make my own cheese. Yes, this is my new store 😊

I made organic oat milk yesterday and I’ll try making vegan butter next. Baby steps.

CONCLUSION

One of the most important things I know from living My Temporary Life is that when I face what my gut tells me is wrong, I feel tremendous freedom, lightness, and joy afterward. It’s not that change is hard. It’s more about not knowing what to do.

If you have been following my daily storyboard drawings on the aboutjam.nl youtube channel, you’ve seen me celebrating clearing my refrigerator. And now you know the story behind the vignettes.

The focus for my temporary life is about creating the best life for myself that I can. Stepping outside corporate influence and making my food takes time. How much time? I don’t know, but I will find out.

I’m moving toward figuring out how to feed and nourish myself in my way. It’s part of my journey, and that’s why I’m here.

Cheers!