plastic detox // part two: grocery guide

we're back for part two of the plastic detox series!

let's get after it.

grocery stores are honestly one of the strangest modern places when you stop and think about them for too long. rows and rows of food sealed in plastic, wrapped in plastic, heated in plastic, shipped in plastic, stored in plastic. strawberries in plastic. spinach in plastic. tiny individually wrapped snacks inside another plastic bag inside a cardboard box for absolutely no reason except “convenience.”

and people wonder why everything feels so artificial now. this isn’t about perfection or becoming one of those people who spends four hours making almond milk from scratch while living in a linen jumpsuit. this is just about shopping differently. slower. more intentionally. choosing food that looks closer to how God made it and farther away from a chemistry set. because grocery shopping is not just choosing food anymore.

you're choosing:

• packaging

• storage methods

• processing levels

• ingredients

• materials your food sat in before reaching your body

and small choices repeated every week matter more than random extreme detoxes ever will.

first rule: buy food that actually looks like real food

modern grocery stores are full of “food products,” not food. the more packaging, ingredients, dyes, gums, preservatives, stabilizers, and synthetic nonsense something has, the farther away it usually is from real nourishment.

start building your cart around:

• produce

• dairy

• meat

• eggs

• grains

• pantry basics

actual ingredients. like what we were made to ingest. eating like a caveman.

produce guide:

better choices (though you should wash all of your veggies & fruits with baking soda to remove any other pesticides still on the food):

• loose produce

• seasonal fruit (depends on the fruit)

• unpackaged vegetables

• local produce when possible

• farmers markets

try to avoid:

• pre-cut fruit in plastic tubs

• individually wrapped produce

• microwave steam bags

• heavily processesd "healthy snacks" pretending to be fruit

there is genuinely no reason six apple slices need to live inside a hard plastic shell like museum artifacts.

bring:

• reusable produce bags

• canvas grocery bags

• baskets if you shop local markets

this is one area i need to work on. i love the trader joe's vibe & idea they're going for with the completely paper bags &/or bringing your own cute totes. #love that. so be a trader joe's girl!! and honestly? buy produce that goes bad. that sounds backwards, but real food decomposes. if your bread survives untouched for a month and your strawberries glow under fluorescent lighting for two weeks straight, maybe pause for a second.

dairy swaps

dairy packaging is one of the easiest places to reduce plastic.

better options:

• milk in glass jars

• yogurt in glass containers when possible

• butter wrapped in paper

• cheese from deli counters instead of pre-shredded plastic bags

  
  

Hildebrand whole milk in glass bottles is one of my favorite swaps. tastes better too, honestly. glass just feels real. cold milk in a glass bottle will always feel more normal to me than drinking from thin cloudy plastic that crinkles when you hold it.

avoid:

• ultra-processed flavors dairy drinks

• heavily packaged "protein" products

• plastic-heavy single-serve dairy packs

meat + eggs

quality matters here. if you have family who farm or get your meat from a trusted source, good for you! congrats. you're probably 95% plastic & processed-free in your meat.

better options:

• local butcher counters

• paper-wrapped meat when possible

• pasture-raised eggs (the more orange the yolk, the better, friends)

• local farm eggs/free range

• remove frozen meats all together. don't even go down that isle. buy your meat fresh

kitchen tip:

when you get home:

• transfer meat from store packaging into glass containers or freezer paper

• avoid keeping food long-term in thin plastic trays

also: eggs in cardboard cartons > plastic cartons. small thing. still matters.

pantry staples

this is where people accidentally buy the most plastic without realizing it.

better pantry foods:

• rice

• dried beans

• flour

• lentils

• nuts

• seeds

• spices

better packaging;

• glass jars

• paper bags

• bulk bins

• metal tins

bulk sections are honestly one of the best ways to reduce packaging if your store has them.

bring:

• glass jars

• cotton bags

• reusable containers

less packaging. less waste. usually cheaper too. funny how older ways of doing things somehow still work.

oils, sauces, condiments

this category is SO unnecessarily plastic-heavy now. i personally really dislike all condiments, but that's just me. why buy something with so much sodium & unnecessary preservatives when you can make a version of it yourself.

better choices:

• olive oil in dark glass bottles

• pasta sauce in glass jars

• ketchup/mustard in glass when available (or just skip entirely. so many preservatives)

• honey in glass jars

• maple syrup in glass bottles

  
  

glass preserves flavor better too. especially oils. plastic and heat/light exposure are not exactly a dream team for food quality. try to skip that ol ketchup in the red bottle at the diner that's been on that table for fifty years...try to make your own condiments, even. try a new sauce, homemade.

drinks

this one matters more than people think.

better choices:

• filtered water

• sparkling water in glass bottles (yes, even those aluminum cans have awful plastic lining)

• herbal teas (loose leaf, no tea bags)

• coffee brewed at home

• juices in glass bottles

• kombucha in glass

  
  

avoid:

• disposable plastic water bottles as a daily habit

• energy drinks constantly stored in plastic-lined cans and bottles

• sugary processed drinks pretending to be “wellness” beverages

also: carry your own water bottle. modern culture normalized buying basic survival needs every single day in disposable packaging and somehow nobody questions it.

snacks

the average grocery aisle for snacks looks dystopian when you actually pay attention. bright colors.plastic everywhere. ingredients nobody can pronounce.

better snack options:

• fruit (well cleaned & not processed)

• cheese (aged well, not in the sandwich cheese section...i love aged Parmesan to nibble on. high in protein & the perfect snack)

• nuts (don't buy the kroger brand nuts. buy name-brand. avoid nuts with any excess/additional seed oils. avoid any seed oils at all costs).

• sourdough bread (awesome homemaking skill to learn as a woman! you can put what ingredients you know are good for you & it's a great skill)

• boiled eggs (such a yummy snack & so easy)

• yogurt (yes!! i am a total yogurt girl. i love yogurt. my sister makes a batch that is to die for, but if you want to go the less expensive route, buy a glass jar of prebiotic yogurt from @natural grocers)

• cottage cheese (now, this is interesting. i don't actually know if i've ever seen cottage cheese in a glass container. let me know if you have!)

• popcorn made at home (so easy!!)

• dates (high in sugar, so it depends if you want all of those calories)

• dark chocolate (yes!! depends on the brand. get TRUE chocolate)

• granola (my go-to snack right now - look into @grandy organics grain-free granola here. i love the dark chocolate coconola)

  
  

simple foods survive for a reason. bottom line, just shop @natural grocers!!

kitchen storage after shopping

what you buy matters.what you store it in matters too.

switch:

• plastic tupperware → glass containers

• plastic wrap → beeswax wrap or glass lids

• plastic utensils → wood/stainless steel

• plastic cutting boards → wood boards

your kitchen should feel calm. not disposable.

realistic grocery habits

you do not need:

• a fully organic homestead pantry overnight

• $14 adaptogenic mushroom cereal

• perfection

• guilt every time you buy something wrapped in plastic

just improve the baseline.

start with:

• milk in glass

• glass food containers

• filtered water

• less (or none) ultra-processed food

• more real ingredients

• fewer disposable packaged products

  
  

that alone changes a lot.

the bigger picture

people today are surrounded by more synthetic materials than any generation before us.

plastic in the kitchen.

plastic in clothing.

plastic in food storage.

plastic in water.

plastic in receipts (yes. next time they ask if you want one, you kindly decline. no thank you, BPA's.)

plastic in makeup.

plastic in the air.

and researchers are now finding microplastics basically everywhere they look. at some point people have to stop acting like this is completely normal. again: not fear. awareness. your body is not disposable. your future children are not disposable. your health decades from now matters too. so shop slower. buy real food. choose glass when you can. cook at home more. make your kitchen feel human again. less plastic. more real life.

the bottom line is that you can make most of your food at home!!

please let me know if these posts have helped you. stay tuned for part three next monday.

many blessings,

bylilyjohanna