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No appetite for plastic? Tips to reduce food contamination

  • The Garbage Lady
  • Mar 3
  • 8 min read

Grocery store shelves filled with single-use waste, much of it plastic

Photo of grocery store shelves licensed under Creative Commons. I see a depressing amount of single-use waste, but also an excellent jigsaw puzzle.


Lately I've been motivated to spend more time in the kitchen, making my own versions of foods I would have otherwise bought, conveniently packaged in plastic. Reducing waste is certainly one factor, as a simple trip to the grocery store raises my hackles, my senses assaulted by aisles of shelves filled with single-use plastic. Where the bulk of that plastic ends up is well understood: Nearly half is sent directly to landfills, and almost as much is incinerated or mismanaged, meaning it's burned in open pits, dumped into waterways, or dumped wherever. Not so well understood is how much of that plastic ends up in our bodies (and brains). With plastic production soaring, we're ingesting microplastics and plastic chemicals at unprecedented rates, and no one fully knows the impact. These realities have motivated me to further prioritize homemade over plastic-packaged convenience, especially since the surfacing facts are too foreboding to ignore:

Chart showing annual plastic waste disposal by method, World, 2000 to 2019

Graph showing global plastics production (polymer resin and fibers), 1950 to 2019

Reduce risk, cut waste, save money

While it's nigh impossible to fully eliminate plastic from our diets, we can reduce exposure and risk by choosing safer options for food storage and swapping out packaged store-bought foods with homemade versions. Even if you aren't adept in the kitchen, my advice is to look for opportunities, and prioritize items that are easiest to make or that you buy on repeat. Start with one swap at a time, make it a routine, and then layer in another. Not only will you reduce your exposure to plastic contaminants, but you'll cut down on waste and save money, too. I did the math, and my annual savings based on some of the items I regularly make at home adds up to $887.12. (See details in the table below.)


Safer options for food storage

  • Opt for glass, stainless steel, silicone, and ceramic containers. Even a plastics producer emphasizes that these materials are safer options than plastic for food storage.

  • Decant plastic-packaged foods into non-plastic containers.

  • Don't store food in opened cans.

  • Don’t put plastics in the dishwasher or microwave, as the heat can damage them and cause them to leach BPA or other plastic chemicals.

  • Discard plastic containers that look aged or scratched.

  • Avoid plastics with the recycling numbers 3, 6, and 7, since they usually contain bisphenols, phthalates, or other highly concerning compounds.

  • Bring your own non-plastic containers when getting takeout.

  • Bring your own non-plastic containers to the grocery store and shop bulk options for flour, sugar, spices, nuts, grains, dried beans, dried fruit, cereals, and other foods.


Homemade swaps for packaged foods

These are some of the items I regularly make at home, with bread and oat milk being the newest additions to routines that have evolved over time.


  • Chicken and vegetable stock. The cost to make your own stock is negligible, since it's made from chicken bones and vegetable scraps, things that would otherwise get tossed. Collect scraps in a silicone bag or large glass jar in the freezer, and when you've got enough, toss them in a pot, cover with water, and simmer for a few hours. Make a big batch and store it in glass jars in the freezer. I use various sized jars to accommodate the times when I need a little or a lot.

  • Granola. Making your own granola is considerably cheaper than buying it, plus you control the sugar factor and can customize the ingredients. A good starting point is this Homemade whole grain, nuts, seeds, and fruits granola recipe, and for something more decadent but not overly sweet, try the Chocolate granola recipe from Chef John. Heed my advice and make a double batch. No notes.

  • Bread. I've always been intimidated by bread baking and only recently started making my own, two years after my husband gifted me with a copy of "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza" by Ken Forkish. Get that book and prepare to be amazed with the results, no kneading required. I found the recipe for Saturday White Bread online, but my go-to is the Overnight White Bread. Both recipes produce two loaves with not a lot of effort: Combine the ingredients, fold the dough a few times, let it sit, then shape and bake the loaves. Check out the instructional videos on the Ken Forkish YouTube channel, too. Not Forkish but related, these ciabatta rolls are even easier to make and work well for burgers.

    • Tip: Instead of using cling wrap for proofing, cover the dough with a cloth to keep it from drying out. After baking, I keep one loaf on the counter, unwrapped in a Dutch oven, where it keeps for days, and I store the second loaf in the freezer wrapped in foil (which I reuse for my next bake). Thaw, then reheat in a 350-degree oven for five minutes to restore the frozen loaf to its fresh-baked glory.

  • Oat milk. Making oat milk is incredibly easy and saves me more money than any other swap. But to be completely honest, I find that it's a bit of a pain, mostly attributed to planning ahead (soaking) and cleaning mucky cheesecloth. I've had decent success, but I'm still tinkering and the results are never on par with commercial brands since there's no added oils or other thickeners. I more or less follow this oat milk recipe, and I prefer to use whole oat groats, which I've found don't produce the sliminess that can occur with rolled oats. I also toss in a couple of dates for a hint of sweetness. (I'll call out that even by making my own oat milk, I can't fully escape plastic, because I use a blender and its container is acrylic.)

    • Tip: Use a fine mesh sieve for the first strain to capture most of the oat pulp, and then use the same sieve lined with cheesecloth for the second strain. If you decide to use a nut milk bag, choose one made from organic cotton instead of nylon. Save the oat pulp to make banana bread or other baked goods.

  • Beans: I've been more diligent about using dried beans after learning that cans are lined in plastic and BPA-free doesn't mean risk-free. Beans are incredibly easy to prepare: rinse, maybe soak overnight, simmer, and toss in some salt once they start to soften. For when you can't accommodate their long cooking times, make them in advance and store them in the freezer, and they'll be readily available for soups, stews, salads, and also...

  • Hummus and other dips. Transform garbanzo beans into hummus and cannellini beans into a white bean dip with rosemary and sage. On the non-bean spectrum, zhoug is an herbaceous, bright, and spicy condiment akin to basil pesto, but trade the basil for cilantro and add chiles, cumin, and cardamom. The zhoug recipe I follow is from the cookbook "Jerusalem" by Yotam Ottohenghi and Sami Tamimi, but it's also featured in their online recipe for chicken shawarma sandwiches. (Once again, I can't fully escape plastic, because I make dips using a food processor, and the bowl is acrylic.)

  • Taco seasoning and other spice mixes. Packaged seasonings are exorbitantly more expensive than making your own and they're usually high in sodium. Make your own blends and you can easily adapt them to your taste. A good starting point is this homemade taco seasoning mix. I make a quadruple batch and store it in a repurposed glass container. Another staple, this pork rub works great for tofu, too, and lends itself well to Banh Mi sandwiches.

    • Tip: Many bulk spice sections also offer pre-made blends, including taco seasoning. Shop the bulk spice section and you'll save 150% - 400% or more per ounce over packaged spices.


Homemade loaves of artisan bread

I'm shocked, awed, and oh so satisfied every time I pull my loaves out of the oven, thanks to the guidance of Ken Forkish and the Organic Expresso bread flour from local Cairnspring Mills


Swaps add up: Annual cost savings and waste reduction

Food item

Quantity

Cost to make

Cost to buy

Annual cost savings**

Annual waste reduction**

Chicken or vegetable stock

32oz

Negligible since it's made from scraps otherwise thrown out

$3.79

$197.08

52 aseptic containers (e.g., Tetra Paks) and 52 plastic lids

Granola

11oz

$4.20

  • Organic rolled oats*: $0.95

  • Organic sliced almonds*: $0.60

  • Organic dried cranberries*: $0.92

  • Organic local honey: $1.00

  • Organic safflower oil: $0.41

  • Pure vanilla extract: $0.32

$4.99

$41.08

52 multi-layer plastic bags (and possibly 52 paperboard boxes, depending on brand packaging)

Bread

1 loaf

$1.87

  • Cairnspring Mills organic Expresso bread flour*: $1.86

  • Saf-Instant yeast: $0.01

$4.99

$162.24

52 plastic-film bags and 52 plastic clips

Oat milk

64oz

$1.02

  • Organic groats*: $0.58

  • Organic medjool dates*: $0.44

$5.99

$258.44

52 aseptic containers (e.g., Tetra Paks) and 52 plastic lids

Taco seasoning

1oz

$0.20*

$1.19

$51.48

52 foil-lined coated-paper pouches

Hummus

10oz

$2.09

  • Dried garbanzo beans: $0.35

  • Organic tahini: $0.90

  • Organic garlic: $0.07

  • Organic lemon: $0.37

  • Organic olive oil: $0.40

$5.49

$176.80

52 plastic containers

Annual cost savings and waste reduction



$887.12

468 unrecyclable or hard to recycle items that contain plastic

*Purchased from the bulk foods section

**Based on one purchase per week


Sources

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