http://www.care2.com/greenliving/just-say-no-to-convenience-food.html
Just Say No to “Convenience” Food
I’m here to tell you the inconvenient truth about “convenience” food: It is not very convenient at all.
The definition of convenient is “not troublesome.” But if you ask me, there’s something very troubling about all the packaging, all that extra plastic and cardboard to be disposed of. And there are also some troubling facts about how they are packaged, which means it’s not convenient for our health.
I knew about the packaging problem but I recently read in Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life by Sophie Uliano that a bag of salad is not what it seems. We think that bowl of mixed baby greens is so healthy, but it is not. In order to keep the leaves fresh in those sealed bags, the leaves have to be gassed with some horribly toxic chemicals, Uliano says. Shocked? I was too!
Buying unpackaged and preferably organic lettuce does require a little more work on your part because you do have to run some water over the leaves and get out your salad spinner. But as Uliano puts it, “Oh the difference! The leaves actually crunch, taste of lettuce, and are full of vitamins and minerals–a small price to pay for something utterly delicious.”
Now I know we’re all busy people and sometimes it’s difficult to do the right thing. Sometimes you’re on the road and you need something healthy, and a plastic container of veggies is better than succumbing to fast food. But the next time you’re at the market, think about it before you reach for something pre-packaged. Does the fact that it’s easy outweigh the hard facts about its packaging?
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8 comments
add your comment »are the organic ones gassed?
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Read on for other details about salads (and the "something" thats sprayed on. http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?c
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I'm not positive, but I believe they use a chlorine wash and/or ozone gas treatment during the "sanitization" process of bagging salad. I'm glad I was never sucked into the bagged salad trend, especially after the e. coli fiasco.
To wash the bugs and dirt off organic lettuce, I fill the sink with cold water and swish the lettuce head around really well. If I see bugs I let it soak for a few minutes so they'll drown and fall off easier. Then I break off the leaves and lay them on a towel to dry. This works well with spinach, too. I never understood why a vegetable rinse would be better than natures #1 solvent, water. But I haven't tried them; I have an aversion to paying for things if I don't have to.
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If you're going to state that the leaves have to be "gassed" with "something", then you should probably list what it's "gassed" with and leave a citation for an online source so that the readers can verify the data.
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What exactly is this gas that greens are treated with?
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I knew about this but in addition to health factors, buying bags of salad greens is definitely not economical. Here in Ontario, the price is from $2.99 to $4 (CDN) per bag depending on the brand and content. I can buy a bunch of organic leaf or romaine for a lot less and can choose my own additions.
Salad spinners are great but it will last longer if you use veggie wash and then give it a good rinse while it's whole. I turn it upside down and let the water drain. It will keep fresh in your frig for weeks in a cotton salad bag. Once lettuce is torn, it should be used right away.
Veggie-Fruit wash & Large organic cotton salad bags can be found at http://www.grassrootsstore.com/
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gassed??? I had no idea!! Well, baby greens are VERY easy to grow on my deck, so I am going to start some seeds today. :)
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Ouch, that's terrible! I didn't know, and I honestly did think "ooh, salad-in-a-bag", how wonderful. What about baby spinach - they don't even sell that in my supermarket except in those prepackaged bags!
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