In praise of: El pato salsa
Taste [rating:5] Health [rating:4] Environment [rating:3] Processed [rating:4] Portability [rating:2] [rating:overall] Taste [rating:5] I find this has just the amount of spiciness for a morning meal — not too much to jolt you, but enough to feel fancy. Health [rating:4] Low cal, but somewhat high in sodium. Environment [rating:3] Comes canned. Can is recyclable but not biodegradable, obviously. Processed [rating:4] This is a processed food and is built for convenience. By that, I mean that you could make the same food with whole, fresh ingredients if you had the time. There are no...
Read MoreIn praise of: Baby lima beans
Taste [rating:5] Health [rating:5] Environment [rating:4.5] Processed [rating:5] Portability [rating:4] [rating:overall] Taste [rating:5] Very mild and not too bean-y, although the texture may be hard to get right for some people. Health [rating:5] So good for you, high in fiber and protein and low in fat and calories. It’s also packed with B-vitamins. Environment [rating:4.5] You can buy beans pre-cooked in cans, but you don’t have to. In my case, I had 1-lb bags of dried beans and cooked them myself. Soaking them overnight required less cooking time and therefore less energy...
Read MoreIn praise of: Cherries
Taste [rating:5] Health [rating:5] Environment [rating:5] Processed [rating:5] Portability [rating:5] [rating:overall] Taste [rating:5] YUM. I usually like my “sweet” tastes to be paired with another dose of something — salty, mellow, warm, tangy… In this case, the balance of sweet and tart is usually just right. Health [rating:5] Low cal, high fiber, plus nutrients. Awesome. Environment [rating:5] Of course, if you can get organic and locally-grown ones, it’s best. But these need no packaging and they biodegrade. Processed [rating:5] We’re talking about...
Read MoreIn praise of: Almonds
Taste [rating:5] Health [rating:4] Environment [rating:3] Processed [rating:5] Portability [rating:5] [rating:overall] Taste [rating:5] I tend to like them roasted but raw taste good, too. Health [rating:4] Tons of healthy fats, but high calorie. Use restraint if you must. Environment [rating:3] Unless you buy almonds in shell, you will have to buy these packaged. Buying bulk will raise this score, but I had mine in a little can that I don’t think is recyclable. Processed [rating:5] Sure, you buy them out of their shell, but these are a good, whole food with lots of fiber and no...
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