THE SWAG BLOG — Category_Food Waste

(& Save Money to Boot)   Plastic-free July may be over, but we’re certainly not giving up the cause! I bet most of us don’t really think about what happens when we toss a plastic water bottle or wilted head of Romaine lettuce into the bin. But the truth is 27 percent of all food we buy ends up in the trash can. And that trash adds up fast. While The Swag helps you stay waste-free in the kitchen, here are some clever and creative tips from other Zero Waste leaders that will help you live a toxic-free, zero-waste life...

You make your list, check it twice. Then, you head out to brave the crowds at your local farmer’s market. Instead of buying packaged, sugar-ridden food, you buy what you know your body needs — crisp greens, tender tomatoes, fragrant herbs and fresh vegetables and fruit. While no one really enjoys creating waste, going completely plastic-free while eating fresh is tough. If you’re 80% plastic-free but tired of using plastic to get your produce to the checkout counter, check out our 100% natural cotton grocery bag. Before long, your bag is filled up with delicious, whole foods you will be...

Did you know that the food you buy in the grocery stores in America passed a rigorous “attractive” test before it made it on those shelves? It’s true! The apples, tomatoes and spinach you just bought are the most appealing and “blemish-free” produce available on the market. Their less-attractive sisters and cousins, on the other hand, did not pass the test. A recent report from The Guardian shows that Americans throw away all most as much food as we eat. Why? Because we want our food to look perfect, of course! From watermelons to avocados, if it doesn’t look just...

We’ve gotten many emails and inquiries from people shopping at their local farmer’s markets and wondering how storing spinach, kale or other leafy greens directly into their Swags works. Vendors are still offering plastic bags, so can we be sure our produce will stay fresh without them? I’ve used reusable bags in the past, and they don’t help my spinach and lettuce keep any longer than plastic bags.  How is The Swag different? These are great questions from people really concerned about food waste! But here’s some good news: The Swag is not like those other organic cotton reusable bags on...

With the constantly rising price of fruits and veggies, not to mention everything else, it is important to get the most from what you buy. Storing your fresh produce the best way possible will mean that your fruits and veggies will last longer, and you will save money.

The best and most natural way to store Potatoes and Onions

We all live for convenience especially when it comes to food and our health. Just like the myth that healthy eating is expensive, many people believe that buying in-season fruits and vegetables is just too much hassle. After all, Wal-Mart and Target don’t exactly tell you what is seasonal and what is not. So, where do you start? And how can you be sure it will even make a difference? Isn’t it good enough to just eat fruits and vegetables in the first place? The first step in eating seasonally can be as simple as going to your local farmer’s...

Did you know that fruits and vegetables are the most wasted type of food? It’s not surprising when you think about it. How many times have you purchased fruits and vegetables with great intentions to cook amazing meals and treats with them, but they end up going bad before you have a chance to use them? That’s one of the things that inspired me to invent The Swag! No one wants to waste food. We go to the supermarket, see all of this delicious, vibrant produce, and fill our carts. Fast forward a few days (or fewer in some cases),...

Food waste is a global problem, and it’s one of the main reasons I invented The Swag. Did you know that fruits and vegetables are wasted in the United States more than grain products, seafood, meat, and milk? If you’re like me, then this kind of information can be really upsetting and frustrating! You know food waste is bad, and throwing away any food is something you want to avoid. I believe that we’re all naturally food savers, not food wasters! It really only takes small changes in each of our lives to save more food. However, until more people...