I started Lent this year by diving right into the deep end. Ash Wednesday meant a trip to State College for a conference, and since I was already halfway across the state, I continued east to see my parents for a belated birthday celebration with my dad. A lot of car time means a lot of travel food, which typically means a lot of packaging. (And a late night at work on Tuesday meant next to no prep time.)
Fast Food:
My favorite turnpike food is (wait for it) Burger King. I only get it when I’m driving on the turnpike because yes, I’m aware that it’s not the healthiest option, but I do love getting a veggie burger, onion rings, and a coke.
While I only have Burger King about 6 times a year, I could easily eat Taco Bell about 6 times a week. (I don’t think I ever have, but I’m sure I’ve been close.) Their black bean burritos are tasty, easy, not overly-calorie-laden (390), have some protein (13g) and not a ton of cholesterol (10mg) – probably one of the healthiest things on their menu, really.
But here is my breakdown of the different packaging items I typically get:
- Paper bag: compostable, but reuse if possible!
- Paper napkins: compostable, but keep the unused ones in your car for when you need them!
- Receipt: technically recyclable, but only in a specific (Abitibi) paper recycling bin – they’re too small to get sorted by our local recycling facility’s equipment.
- Paper cups: NOT compostable or recyclable because they have a thin layer of plastic to keep the cup from disintegrating. Plus you get a non-recyclable plastic lid and straw with it. Avoid it. (I have not asked if I can fill my own 12oz cup there, but it would be worth looking into…)
- Paper wrappers: theoretically compostable, but this question led to some extra research…
Paper Wrapper Tangent: A few years ago, there was some concern about the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, the same material used in Teflon) to keep the grease from soaking into the paper. This compound is linked to cancer and was phased out of food applications in the US in 2011, but it was still showing up in fast food packaging in a 2015 study (likely coming from other material that might have been incorporated in the recycling process).[1] The last information I could find on this subject is two years old, so it’s not clear if any PFOA is still floating around in packaging materials, but if it is, I wouldn’t be thrilled about composting it and putting it back into the ground.
Since the official phase-out of PFOA, a lot of food wrap is covered in wax or thin layers of plastic to help give some structural integrity and prevent disintegration from food juice and grease. If the paper is treated with wax, it is compostable, but if it is treated with plastic, it is not. If you happen to get a meal wrapped in paper of any kind, the best way to determine if the paper is compostable is to get it wet and see how easily it comes apart. If it tears like wet notebook paper would, it’s safe to compost; if it still puts up a fight, you’ve probably got a layer of plastic in there.
For the record, I have not yet had any Burger King or Taco Bell, despite my trans-state travels this week. I would like to do a little more research into PFOA first… plus giving up fast food for a little while wouldn’t exactly be a hardship, especially since I’m trying to do more cooking for myself. And that brings me to…
Meals:
Two years ago for Lent, I did the Whole30 diet[2] to identify any food sensitivities I might have. It was very educational, but also incredibly work-intensive because it meant I couldn’t eat anything I hadn’t prepared myself… consequently, I ate a lot of things that didn’t require a lot of prep. In advance of three days on the road, I bought some foods that worked well for me on Whole30: hard-boiled eggs (cardboard packaging), bananas and apples (no packaging, but covered in stickers), bulk almonds and dates (right out of the bin, into my own containers), and I also grabbed some bagels (no packaging) and a jar of peanut butter that was sitting in my cabinet. (Neither of those last two is Whole30 compliant, by the way, but they’re very convenient). I had no time to prep for this trip, so I’m hoping to cook something a little more substantial for myself in the coming weeks.
Running Fuel:
Finally, I was a little concerned about proper nutrition while marathon training, but again I called on my Whole30 experience. I usually use Shot Bloks when I’m running – pop one every mile or two, and I’m set. (I’m on the verge of being sick of them by the time I’m done, but they keep me going.) My packaging-free alternative is dates, which I keep in a reusable snack bag, inside my running belt pouch. These provide a sugar boost of their own when substituted one-for-one with the Shot Bloks, though I do remember getting sick of dates faster than the Shot Bloks, and that the former didn’t provide as much energy as the latter. However, not all dates are created equal, and I believe I was mostly buying Deglet Noor dates while on Whole30. Medjool dates pack over twice the calories and carbohydrates as Shot Bloks, plus a nominal amount of protein, so they should hold me better on a long run.
- Shot Bloks (each, 6 to a pack) – 33 calories, 8g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g protein
- Deglet Noor Dates (each) – 20 calories, 5g carbs, 4.5g sugar, .2g protein
- Medjool Dates (each) – 69.3 calories, 18.7g carbs, 16.6g sugar, .5g protein
I was pretty wiped out on my long run today, but it was also hot and sunny (by comparison), and by 15 miles in, I had run out of water … and my taste for dates. I made it through all 17 miles, and I’d have to say that the dates were probably comparable to the Shot Bloks – at least enough to keep me moving.
Weekly Recap:
- Waste Total – apple and banana stickers, 1 piece of dental floss, “member” ribbon from conference nametag.
- Personal Victories – successfully navigating two restaurant visits, at places that usually give us at least one single-use item.
- Husband Hardships – none so far… just some eye-rolling.
Looking forward to hearing about things you’ve given up, changes you’ve made, or questions you have.
Thanks for reading!
[1] https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/02/fast-food-wrappers-chemicals/
[2] https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/
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