Fruits and Vegetables are Naturally "Green"

Fruits and Vegetables were “green” long before that word meant more than just a color. Mother Nature does not waste any energy when she creates our food, but uses the readily available sunshine and rainfall. She does not produce any wasteful packaging, all of her products are biodegradable, and all of her products are naturally organic.

When you buy your fruits and vegetables from the fresh vegetable aisle, you are buying real foods that have not been processed in any way. The more something is processed the more of its natural value is lost in the finished product and the less “green” it is. Compare a glass of orange juice with an orange. If you eat an orange you are going to get all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber the orange was born with. The orange also has a peel that rots and, therefore, does not burden a landfill. When you drink the juice, some of the natural goodness of the orange has been filtered out in the processing. The juice also comes in a carton that required energy to create and decorate, and it has to go into a landfill where it takes a long time to rot.

When you use your commons sense, healthy food choices are obvious. It makes sense to eat the foods that Mother Nature creates for us and to eat them as close to their natural state as possible. When you do that, you will be getting the best nutrition and, as an added bonus, you will be “green”.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Never rinse your cooked pasta. The salt and starch that cling to it add flavor and help the sauce stick better.