Not in My Food.org : Know what you're eating
The following is a guest blog by Amanda Buchanan, a consumer activist from Idaho, submitted to Consumers Union in support of our recent Kick the Can action to get BPA out of canned goods. Going can-free was learning process for Amanda and her family that evolved over several years (and still continues to evolve!). We realize most people probably aren’t ready and/or able to jump into doing things the Buchanans do (such as canning their own food), but any change you can make – even a small one – is a step in the right direction, and Amanda gives some good suggestions here.
When I learned a couple of years ago about BPA in the lining of cans, I reevaluated our pantry. The main things we had in metal cans were beans. Garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans. LOTS of beans. Well, out went the cans, and in came dried beans. Originally, I had thought that this move would be horribly inconvenient. I mean, seriously, if you had to choose between soaking/boiling beans to use them or just opening a can, you’ll choose the can. But it’s turned out to be no big deal. Granted, it’s taken a bit of trial and error to get beans to the right consistency. But once we got it figured out, we were conditioned to planning ahead.
We also happen to live in a rural area where we have a large garden and access to inexpensive orchard and farm produce. These circumstances led us into the fine world of canning and freezing food that we had previously been buying (mainly in metal cans) at the grocery store.
The idea of canning my own food was exciting but also incredibly intimidating. I knew that we would be feeding small children, and I was terrified that I would end up poisoning them somehow. I know that just the threat of that is enough to turn many people off from canning, but the reality is, home canning done right (and it’s easy to do!) is safe, more healthful and more delicious than commercially canned food.
That leaves us with basically five canned items that we use occasionally or rarely: tomato paste, anchovies, coconut cream, black olives and tuna. The tomato paste is this summer’s new canning project. Anchovies we switched to buying in glass containers. Coconut cream, black olives and tuna… well, we just passed on those since we only eat one can every couple of months.
For anyone interested in making the switch, here are some of the things we do:
• Buy large, resealable bags of frozen, organic peas, green beans and corn. (Or freeze your own from the garden.)
• Cook and puree pumpkin pie pumpkins and butternut squash and freeze to use in making soups and pies.
• Can your own peaches, stewed tomatoes, tomato juice and grape juice.
• Use dried beans instead of canned.
• Invest in a crock pot for cooking stews, chili, soups and other time consuming meals while you are at work.
• Use raw vegetables when they are in season and available instead of canned.
• Drink beer and other beverages from glass bottles.
I think any change people make with their food is more correctly labeled a journey. And that journey evolves as your knowledge about food and access to it increases.
Great blog post. I think more and more people are realizing that home canning isn’t rocket science, but instead an easy way to control where your food comes from and what’s in it. Not to mention the fact that glass jars are never going to have any bad lining in them. Now’s the perfect time to start too, so hop to it people!
I totally agree with your thoughts on going “can-free”. It seems like a very attractive idea, and indeed it is much more flavorful to enjoy stewed tomatos from your own garden instead of the good old western family stewed tomatos you can get down the street for 69 cents…But because it is not convenient and it is not quick, canned foods are much more popular for obvious reasons. If only our society looked more at nutrition and a little less at convenience, we would all be much healthier, and probably not the most obese country in the world!
“Kicking the can” is much easier than it might seem and one of the healthiest switches you can do. (I love that the author takes the time to explain how it can be SO easy!!) It cuts down on the amount of processed foods going in your body, in turn cutting the extra chemicals from entering your body (i.e., the extra salt, the BPA absorbed from the lining (amazingly higher than you would expect), the extra sugar used in most canned foods, etc.).
Thankfully there are easy solutions, like the author has stated…it’s not that hard. The easiest & cheapest way to eat healthier is to do it yourself, like the author mentioned her family does. Growing, canning and even cooking meals yourself, has become a lost art in today’s American family and it has taken a toll. But there are other alternatives as well. Glass is becoming used more and more by manufactures. You can find all kinds of products normally found in cans in glass jars, you just have to look for them. We purchase artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes (diced, stewed, sauce, paste), and others. I recently found in my grocery store one manufacturer who is using a non-BPA lining for some of its products, not all but it’s a start. And it’s a nice back up for when I forget we are out of pre-cooked frozen beans to use for dinner.
The concept of eating healthy in general throws most Americans because there is this idea that it will cost more money. If you take into consideration the long term health effects associated with eating items not meant to be in your body the cost becomes much less.
I do quite a bit of canning and have always done so because the quality of produce and flavor is so much better in home canned food than in what one can purchase at the store. The issue of BPA in can lining is only going to add to the list of reasons why I spend much of the late summer and early fall canning my own food. Colleagues at work always are in awe of how much canning I do and often pose the question, “How do you have enough time to do that?” But these are the same people who discuss their favorite contestants on “The Biggest Loser” or “American Idol” and I think to myself, “How do you have time to watch that?” To me, canning is not taking time away from something else–it is something I do because I enjoy good, healthy food. And for those who don’t want to miss important programs, canning is easy enough to do that you can watch TV while doing it.
Inspiring post! I have also been afraid of canning because of feeding my son and being worried I’ll do it wrong. This blog has inspired me to read up on canning and figure it out since BPA is for sure not good for our family.
Thank you!
Hello. Thanks for all your ideas. Did you know that most toilet papers too have BPA in them? I actually have gone totally paper free in my home, can free, chemical free, and garbage free. Yes I said it, Garbage free! A friend of mine challenged me to do this from Easter to Christmas and even now, just a few months away from Christmas, I can still see the bottom of my bag! For toilet paper, I use washable baby wipes. Yea it can be a little weird sometimes, but I keep a garbage can full of water and vinegar and there’s no smell and the water pre-washes it. I am really trying to move myself to all green. I also can my own foods, but beware that some canning lids have BPA in them so watch out for BPA! They do have BPA free lids too! Also, making a lot of foods yourself gives a lot of opportunities that you can’t have with packaged food. You can make your own potato chips or fries etc with potatoes from the garden, fresh soy milk and soy yogurt from soy beans and water, fresh pasta from just eggs and flour, granola bars, etc… There are so many opportunities, and they don’t really take that long to do! You can be your own artist in the kitchen for little to no money at all!
Wow – that’s quite a commitment to reducing your impact!
Just to clarify on one point about BPA in toilet paper: BPA makes its way into the paper stream when receipts get recycled. Receipt paper (or ‘thermal paper’) – the kind you get from most grocery stores, box stores, gas stations, etc. – has a coating of BPA on it. But unless you’re using TP made from recycled paper, it probably doesn’t have BPA in it. And even in the recycled kind, the level of BPA exposure is likely at very, very low levels.
Also, it tends to raise eyebrows when canners find out that there’s likely BPA in the lid jars – and yes, it’s sad but true. The ubiquitous Ball jars have BPA in their lid liners. As Stephanie mentions, there are supposedly BPA-free canning supplies available, but you have to do some research before you buy.
Hi Meg,
Yes, it’s a commitment, but one that I think everyone should make. We all need to do our part, and really changing the way I did wasn’t really difficult at all. It took a while to get used to it, but now I really don’t have any issues. I’m even looking for ways to be more green. I am in the market for a new house and I’m actually looking to build an eco dome house, which is 100% green. I’m really excited about that!
Anyway about the toilet paper, a little bit is too much for me. I’m trying to also get rid of printer ink because I found out today that it also has BPA. It’s amazing how many things have it… magazines, newspapers, printer inks, phone books, etc, just because of the print! With the high risk of cancer in my family, I am trying to avoid whatever I can to not get the disease killing my family.
What a great post and how applicable it is to our current quest to cut down on waste and to create better meals for our family. Just yesterday we cooked a huge pot of chick peas to use throughout the week. We also froze several bags of the beans for future use. This morning we made crepes and fresh whipped cream. The more we try to make and the more we move away from cans, the easier the process becomes. The added bonus is that our six-year-old daughter, Isabella, LOVES to work with us in the kitchen, and we can give her lots of little jobs to do when we are making everything from scratch. Thanks, Amanda, for the awesome tips. We have already started to apply some of your ideas. Now to the toilet paper issue . . . .
K
Glad your daughter is learning early. She’ll grow up in an environment that she’ll learn to take care of the earth! Great Job Mom!
The toilet paper issue isn’t really awful. I spoke to a friend online about it who started making 8×8 squares for her daughter for washable baby wipes and I said why can’t we make our own “toilet paper.” I started with just the baby wipe size, but realized it should be more the size of toilet paper, so 4×8. If you get organic cotton fabric and sew these rectangles, they last forever and it’s really not as nasty as you may think. I also use washable sanitary pads.
Good luck to you in your quest
Thanks Amanda for your user friendly approach to lifestyle changes. Personally, I’m not a homemaker and after attempting to can one season 30 years ago, I swore I’d never do it again…and haven’t. Perhaps this is the point you make best. It doesn’t have to be onerous nor does one need to be obsessive to eat healthier. Just as one can make informed choices by taking 30 seconds to read content labels, opting for glass containers is a no brainer. Perhaps the easiest choice is to eat fresh whenever possible. Admittedly, not all of us have our own garden, but I’ll bet we all know someone who does and I’ve never met a gardener who isn’t willing to share. When all else fails, there’s always the local produce stand or grocery store. Whatever your appoach, starting with simple changes just as Amanda did with her beans is easier than you might think and can lead to a better life for you and your loved ones. I know, I’ve done it. Thanks for the wake up call. I’m gonna get back on the wagon!
Wow….Loved hearing where you were, where you are, and the process! I defintely want to take steps to have healthy delicious food in my cabinets! Thanks for sharing Amanda!