Eating Lower on the Food Chain

No recipe today, I'm afraid, I made salad for dinner last night and salad for lunch today. Boring. But, I just read a very interesting article called How To Be a Savvy Cheapskate on the US World News and World Report. (You can see the full article here - note: I am neither endorsing nor not endorsing this article, I am just referencing some comments within the article that hit home for me).

Under the subheading Aside from driving less and being happy with a smaller house, what other significant things should we cut back on? the author discusses my favorite thing: food. He writes about how eating "lower on the food chain" is important to saving money. Fast food costs, on average, 80% more than preparing meals at home. Additionally, most Americans waste at least 25% of the food they purchase. By learning proper storage techniques and making sure you use what you buy, you can further eliminate the 25% he talks about.

Eating lower on the food chain means eating plant-based foods - beans and lentils, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. The author recommends never spending more than $1 per pound for food. If taken on an average, I think this is possible. However, things like apples, pears, and even broccoli can cost upwards of $1.50 per pound and sometimes more. Other foods, like potatoes and tomatoes in season will cost less than $1 per pound, so I think it can even out. It makes sense to stick to the lower priced foods, and your grocery budget will benefit greatly simply by sticking to plant-based (aka VEGAN) foods.

Think about it - I've said it before, but vegetables generally don't shrink when you cook them like meat does (although there are exceptions - spinach shrinks like Alice when she drinks the magic potion in Wonderland), but grains, beans and legumes all expand, beans expand further when sprouted, and other vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots and broccoli undergo very little change in size when cooked. Overall, plant based foods are a much better bang for your buck.

Guess what else shrinks? Your waistline! I must admit, I have not been avid about my veganism, having "cheated" here and there much more than I am comfortable with. I recently made a commitment to eat strictly vegan for 30 days (absolutely no cheating) and guess what? I'm starting to fit into pants I wouldn't have dreamed of wearing a month ago. "Eating lower on the food chain" is not only better for our health, but it's also better for the planet, reducing our carbon footprint by using less resources.

My hope when for you when you read this is not to quickly reject it for any number of possible reasons (I'm sure there are many), but to try it. You don't have to do it all at once. Start with one step and gradually make it part of your life, then gradually add another and another. For example, you might start by committing to eat at least one fruit or vegetable (salad counts) with every meal. Once you've done that enough that it becomes a habit, you might make a commitment to switch from white rice to brown, or from white flour to whole wheat flour (including bread and tortillas made from said flower). Then you might choose to switch from cow's milk to many of the non-dairy milk options (such as oat, almond, soy or hemp). These are just examples. I would be happy to help in any way I can - just ask.

If I accomplish nothing more than getting people to eat a few more plant-based recipes in lieu of animal based recipes, then I am happy - and so is our Mother. :o) As is stated in the closing lines of the popular documentary Food, Inc., we are voting for what kind of planet we want, we are voting for how we want our food prepared, we are voting for how many pesticides we want in our food, and we are voting how many resources used to make our food. With every bite, we vote. Make your vote count.