Trim Your Waste to Trim Your Waist!

I have always been a multitasker; I read my mail during television commercials, I listen to audiobooks during my commute, I catch up on my favorite recorded shows while I do the dishes. Until recently it hadn’t occurred to me that I could multitask more than just my smaller chores, but that I could also apply this habit to larger goals that support each other. One such combination is improving my fitness and shrinking my ecological footprint. There are perhaps no two objectives more compatible with one another.

Cycling Instead of Using Your Car Gets You Fit AND Cuts Your Fuel Costs!

Cycling Instead of Using Your Car Gets You Fit AND Cuts Your Fuel Costs!

The most obvious application of this concept is exercise. If  I ride my bicycle to work and walk to the corner store instead of driving, I can save gas (and money) and reduce the amount of pollution for which I am directly responsible. And of course, at the same time, I increase my physical activity levels. You may already be doing this type of thing yourself, but have you thought of expanding this concept to include the foods you buy?

Many of the items available in supermarkets today are over-packaged and have traveled long distances to reach the shelves. Countless foods available at our local superstores are also calorie rich but nutrient poor. Often these foods overlap. Foods with fewer preservatives, “clean foods,” often pack a higher nutritional punch and are frequently environmentally cleaner.

In most supermarkets, the outside perimeter of the store is a good place to start looking for the foods with the least packaging. This is often where you’ll find the fruits, vegetables, meats, and bulk items such as grains and beans. Conveniently, it is also the best place to start when looking to add nutritional oomph to your diet and nutrition program while being calorie-conscious, and the foundation of your diet should be built from the foods located in these aisles. The high-fiber grains, high-antioxidant and nutrient-rich vegetables and legumes, quality meats and fish, and other foods found in these areas are the mainstays of a high quality diet that can help you get fit fast.

Grains, nuts, seeds, and beans bought in bulk bins are often less expensive than pre-packaged options and allow you to save on packaging and eliminate waste. Nutrient rich, calorie conscious whole grains (which need only be rinsed, set to simmer, and seasoned to taste) are an excellent alternative to the often excessively packaged instant side-dishes that we buy. Despite being marketed as “time-saving” alternatives, these instant options often have as much or more hands-on preparation time (and calories!) as from-scratch options. By buying the less-processed items, you can save not only on packaging and money, but also on empty calories, additives, and sometimes on hands-on time.

When I want to go that extra mile, so to speak, I also select items that were grown nearer to home. By doing this, I’m encouraging the stores to buy locally, reducing the amount of fuel used to ship large quantities of vegetables a third of the way around the globe and I’m helping local businesses. The benefit to me is that I get foods with more vitamins and minerals since the farther food is shipped, the longer it is off the vine before it makes it to my plate, and the more nutrients are lost. They also happen to require less packaging for the trip since they aren’t going to be exposed to as much handling.

None of this is to say that we need to abandon our favorite pre-packaged snacks completely (though perhaps the thought of making a homemade version of it will spark your interest and tickle your wallet). Instead, look at the foods in the center aisles of your local supermarket as having the same relationship to your diet as spices have to a good meal: just a little adds plenty of flavor but too much throws it off balance. So do the planet, your wallet, and your waist a favor: go green, eat clean, and get lean.