Cravings. We all have them. And they can be monstrous when you're zero waste.
Sadly, cravings are often covered in packaging. That's because Americans like myself are addicted to high-preservative food and drink with tons of fat and sugar. A classic id vs. superego showdown will commence as you consider the greasy cardboard in a landfill compared to those delicious McDonalds french fries in your belly.
The best thing to do is always have your cravings on-hand in your home and office (or car if you're on a road trip) so you aren't lured into the convenient store aisle with all the wrapped chocolate bars. But first things first: you need to find a zero waste way to attain the food you regularly crave.
I can't give any hard and fast advice on such a general subject because everyone's cravings are different. Instead, I'm going to list what I can't live without in hopes that it'll jumpstart creative solutions for your own lifestyle. Or who knows? Maybe you'll have the exact same addictions as me and this blog is your equivalent of Dr. Jones's journal to The Holy Grail.
What I Can't Live Without (or I could, but my life would be far less colorful):
Caffeine
I'm a pretty chill person. I know that's the kind of thing stalkers and people with anger management problems say, so let me clarify: I don't have a lot of natural energy for anything that doesn't genuinely excite me. So unless you want to discuss Joss Whedon tropes and themes, Harry Potter critical theory, feminist politics, or zero waste (duh), there's a good chance I need caffeine to deal with you. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my caffeine trifecta:
My reusable tea strainer, T-Balla'. Sometimes,
the stuff you own before zero waste is already
cute.
Coffee: If you're at home, a simple formula will work. Coffee beans from the bulk bin + french press + coffee grinder + kettle = zero waste coffee. In my opinion it tastes better than the pre-ground bagged coffee put through a paper filter anyway. If you're getting coffee from a shop, check to see if they have their own reusable cups. If yes, go ahead and order a fancy drink and enjoy it at the cafe. If they only use disposable cups (**coughcough Starbucks...cough**), just order a regular coffee when handing over your reusable container. Chances are they'll take forever to fill it, too.
Tea: I also use my french press for loose leaf tea, but I have a tea strainer at work too. His name is T-Balla'.
Soda: Less access to soda may be why I've lost quite a bit of weight since starting zero waste. However, I do not refrain completely. I may be continually haunted from those anti-soda propaganda videos showing how many scoops of sugar can be found in one can of Coke, but I still get a sick joy from the sweet crackle of carbonation on my tongue followed by a rush of artificial energy. So I use take my reusable big gulp container that I purchased literally days before I heard of the Zero Waste movement and fill it at the soda fountain of any gas station. If I'm trying to avoid a serious stomach ache, I'll only fill it a third of the way. Bonus: gas stations usually give a discount for refills.
Cheese
I. Love. Cheese. Almost every meal that I consider to be one of my "favorite meals" uses cheese in some way. I eat it on burgers and burritos, sprinkled on anything, or just straight up eat a chunk of it and wash it down with a glass of wine.
Discovering how to obtain zero waste cheese
for the first time. This is the genuine
excitement I referred to earlier. Photo by Michaela McGinn
Unfortunately FDA regulations dictate that cheese be covered in an obscene amount of plastic. I'm sure they have their reasons, but it's still maddening to be a zero waste cheese addict.
If you have a lot of expendable income, a crane, and amazing storage space, you can buy a full wheel of cheese. I do not fit that description.
For a long time, I was limited to this one brand of brie cheese that I found in a gourmet shop. It came wrapped in a tiny paper coffee filter inside a cardboard box with the smallest bit of plastic at the top for a window. It was the best I could do at the time. But with brie not being the most versatile cheese and my tastebuds telling me it was time to switch it up, I couldn't fully call this bandaid a solution.
...Until I remembered that salad bars are a thing.
Many supermarkets and grocery stores have salad bars that you pay for by the pound. Most of the salad bars have a grated and crumbled cheese section to choose from.
Obviously this won't be stellar quality cheese, but it works if I'm just looking for sandwich makings or something to sprinkle on an appetizer. If you're considering buying cheese from a salad bar there are a few things to keep in mind:
This stuff goes bad quickly. Only take what you need for the next couple of days.
It's expensive. My supermarket charges 4 times more per pound, so I do have to cut back on cheese in general to stay within my shopping budget.
Chocolate
You can find chocolate in grocery store bulk bins, but my experience has been a lot of stale or old chocolate covered fill-in-the-blanks. I prefer going directly to the source: The Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company. One quick scale check for their delicious chocolate covered coffee beans (made on-site at their St. Louis factory) and you're good to go. Or you can stick around for their free tour and get a sample or two.
Peanut Butter
Easy peasy. Lucky's has fresh ground peanut butter you can buy in bulk. Look in the bulk food section of your grocery store (or just ask an employee) to see if they have a peanut grinder available. Pro-tip: get the honey-roasted kind. It's sweet like the stuff you get from Jif and Peter Pan.
Bread
Sandwiches, toast, rolls to dip in soup, garlic bread...I'm definitely a carb lover.
Bakeries that make actual loaves of bread--as opposed to only pastries, cakes, or muffins--are a great place to easily get zero waste bread. In St. Louis, there are Panera Breads everywhere (so much so that we just call it "Bread Co." here). They will even slice their whole grain bread into sandwich size for you.
There are other little shortcuts you can consider if you're a regular at Panera. For instance ordering bread as your entree's side (it's their only zero waste option anyway) and pocketing that for later is a sure-fire way to kill 2 meals with one stone.
Granola Bars
So convenient. So tasty. So filling. So covered in plastic. I'm pretty sure 30% of any Midwest landfill is dedicated to my Nature Valley granola bar wrappers circa 2012-2016.
The solution to this was pretty simple. Every other week I make a batch of breakfast bars using this recipe.
French Fries
This one's a doozy. You cannot reheat french fries. My only suggestion is to try to find a restaurant nearby with decent french fries for a reasonable price that they serve on a plate. Preferably open 24 hours. My boyfriend has proposed an air fryer...but we'll have to see when that's an affordable option.
Expect to Cut Back in General
What do all these solutions have in common? They're more expensive than cheaply packaged options. Cutting back is just another lifestyle change I've had to go through. However, while budget issues are a downside, there are plenty of upsides to zero waste guilty pleasures:
I'm healthier. For obvious reasons, eating fewer bad-for-you foods and drinks means I'm having to fill up my meals and snacks with healthier (if less delicious) food. Portion control also applies here.
I'm more likely to try new things. Like making my own hummus for an afternoon snack instead of relying on granola bars or a Dr. Pepper.
I'm creating less waste (duh). Unless the cheese spoils before I can eat it.
I'm more productive. A big part of my zero waste experience has been learning to use my cravings as rewards as much as possible as opposed to indulging whenever I feel like it.
And since finishing this blog means I get a peanut butter sandwich, I'm gonna end this here.
