How To Eat Healthier and Cut Back on Food Waste

Start To Taste The Difference

Growing salad greens in your garden can offer a ton of benefits for your health and the health of the planet. When comparing greens from the garden or farmers market to bags of salad from the grocery store, you will start to notice a huge difference in taste and shelf life.

“I think people don’t talk enough about the fact that greens pretty much taste awful when they have been shipped and have sat on shelves for weeks. There is a reason all of our greens go to mush in the fridge. It’s because we actually really don’t want to eat them,” comments Nicole Burke, a master salad gardener from Gardenery Co. (Secrets to Growing Salad Greens- Epic Gardening Podcast)

There Are So Many Benefits to Growing Greens

Nicole also points out, “We all know we need to eat more greens but it is pretty hard to do when it’s tasteless.” So how do you start to love eating salad again?

One of the easiest foods that you can learn to grow inside or outside is salad greens. No matter what your living situation may be, there is a way for you to have fresh salad greens this summer and beyond. If you can master the art of growing your own greens you will taste the difference and never go back to those slimy store-bought greens again. And as an added bonus you will save tons of plastic and food waste from being tossed into the landfill.

The Reality of Food Waste from Salad Greens

The Salinas Valley in California, aka the American salad bowl, grows 70% of the countries salad greens. The majority of the rest of it is grown in Gila River Valley in Arizona. The majority of the country is eating salad from these two places.

That means a lot of salad and its packaging is getting lost to the landfill on every supply chain level. From production, distribution, and when it doesn’t sell in their grocery stores. Then when it does sell in the grocery store. There is still a significant amount of produce that gets thrown in the landfills. And creates greenhouse gases.

The fact is that the average American throws out a pound of food waste every day. We buy food that goes bad before we can even eat it. If you are looking for a way to fix this problem. All you need is a few lettuce seeds to get your wheels rolling.

Anyone Can Grow Greens

“It is one of the most perishable crops yet it is one of the easiest to grow.” -quoted from Kevin the founder of Epic Gardening. (Secrets to Growing Greens- Epic Gardening Podcast)

If you want to grow your own greens and you don’t have any yard space here are a few options to consider. A plot in a local community garden, raised beds, a cut- and- come again planter for your balcony, or a hydroponic system for microgreens.

Gardening is one of the most essential ways to live a more sustainable life. There is no better way to eliminate a big chunk of plastic waste and food waste by growing your own food. All you have to worry about is eating what you need. Sharing the bounty with your neighbors. And composting the rest. If we could all implement this food cycle with something as simple as lettuce. Then we could all build a brighter future for our planet and ourselves.

Are you just starting a garden? Find more of my beginners garden tips here.