Down side to buying in bulk

Even though Zac's doing it... and despite having posted an article previously touting the benefits of shopping at wholesale places like Costco or BJs, I still wanted to share the following article with you as it presents an interesting, although contradictory view to buying bulk vs. conserving resources (money): Worst Stuff to Buy at BJ's Club and Costco

Personal finance gurus Ken and Daria Dolan weigh in on what you really shouldn't
buy at warehouse clubs like BJ's and Costco.

Their list, from a WalletPop post, includes gasoline (which they say is quicker to increase prices than other gas stations), fresh produce (which probably costs or less the same at a local grocery store if we're talking about in-season fruits and veggies), toilet paper and paper towels (just not that cheap at these stores), and jewelry and designer clothes (the poor quality often doesn't justify the "discounted" price).

Frankly, I question the gas thing. We belong to BJ's, and at least in my experience, the gasoline prices there are always substantially cheaper than stations down the highway. I've always assumed the store uses a cheap gas price as a ploy to get shoppers to come in—and it works. It's the same reason that eggs and milk are cheaper at these stores. BJ's attracts shoppers to come in and buy these items for less than they'd pay at a standard grocery store. It's no coincidence that the items being discounted are things that people need regularly. Therefore BJ's gets these shoppers in the door regularly, hoping that they'll look around and buy more stuff that they probably don't need. You're already there, right? Why not browse a few aisles? That's exactly what stores want you to do.

The Dolans also bring up the question of big versus many:

What's the better deal?

Just because an item is three times the size of the one you'd find in the supermarket, doesn't necessarily mean it's a bargain at the warehouse. In fact, many times that massive one gallon container of ketchup costs more than the shrink-wrapped bundle of six smaller ketchup bottles.

Not only can the multi-packs be the real bargain, they can also be much more
convenient. Those smaller containers can be much easier to use, to store and to
finish before they go bad.

Very true. One thing not on their list: stuff you really don't need. Go to the store with a shopping list—and stick to the list. Otherwise, you'll come home with an odd assortment of items you had no intention or need to buy. And that is the worst stuff to buy at BJ's, Costco, or anywhere
else for that matter.

Properly disposing evidence of eating out(side)

The other night was one those idyllic beautiful summer evenings; it was just the right amount of warm outside (not too hot or humid) with a deliciously teasing breeze that kept the bugs away while at the same time soothing our sun-kissed skin. To make the most of these advantageous circumstance, the fam decided to barbecue and eat outdoors. Some extra people were joining our usual group of seven, and while setting the pleasantly crowded table it was noted that there were not enough clean plates to set a place for everyone.

“So what?” my sister said. “Let’s just use plastic, and then we can just throw ‘em out when we’re done with ‘em, and have less clean-up.”

The eco-alarms in my brain started going off at full-intensity.

*****UNECESSARY*WASTE*ABOUT*TO*OCCUR*******

I started to say something in protest, and my sister, picking up on my obviously agitated body language, was quick to point out—“Kelly, they’ve already been purchased. We already have them. They’re going to get used at some point… might as well be tonight.”

My mother punctuated my sister’s statement with a look that said the argument, if it can even be called that, considering zero words left my mouth, was settled. (Apparently my family is really into non-verbal communication? At least they use something sparingly.)

Standing exactly where I was when I first caught wind of this convo, a mental montage of the future the plastic plates were going to face flashed behind my eyelids. Mental images of tons of pink plastic plates, with gobs of potato salad and baked beans still clinging to their shiny surfaces, getting shoved into a trash bag, which would eventually go and find its way to a landfill, and then sit decomposing for the next thousand years or so, all the while leaching toxins galore, and occupying precious landfill real-estate so that another one would have to created that much sooner… ugh.

This lead me down a slippery mental slope, because if my family –with an outspoken environmental police-officer on the premises (me!)—was guilty of going the easy and wasteful route when it came to outdoor dining, it hurt to think about how many other people were doing the exact same thing, and how much wasted waste was being created. The thought process was scaring me more than this place.

As I sat at the table and proudly ate off my china plate (only plastic for this girl is an AmEx), I sadly tried to trouble-shoot the scenario, and figure out alternative, more eco-viable solutions, before it dawned on me: there already are freaking tons of better options in place for these sorts of scenarios.

1. Paper plates. Hello Green family! *News Flash* These are probably cheaper than plastic, and won’t irk me (or Mother Nature) nearly as much due their organic origins and quicker disintegration time.

2. Reusable plastic plates. Also super cheap, and available at every retail vendor imaginable during the summer months. (Seriously, you don’t just have to go to a place that would generally sell table-ware, over the summer you can find cheap plastic plates at hardware stores, drugstores, supermarkets, Victoria’s Secret*… ) For example, Walmart is currently selling a 38 piece dishwasher safe set for $19, which breaks down to 50 cents apiece-- for dinnerware you can use over and over indefinitely.

3. Regular plates. I mean, when did the old fashioned, rustic activity of grilling meat become so fancy so as to require its own set of dinnerware? A table outdoors that was set the same way as it would be indoors would be visually pleasing, while leading to no unnecessary waste, saving money by not purchasing alternate plates, and helping to keep an American past-time in its proper pure perspective.

4. The combination of 1,2, and 3 in one plate: OneHundredDegree’s reusable plastic plates that look like the throw-away paper variety. Not the cheapest route to go ($16 for set of 4), but they are cute, kitschy, and eco-tastic. These plates look like ye olde picnic paper plates we fondly recall from our childhoods—but, surprise! They’re really sturdy melamine in disguise! Machine washable, long-lasting, and outdoor eating inspired, these also fit the bill for replacing throw-away plastic plates.

In defense of my sister, she was right—the plastic plates in our house had obviously already been purchased, and were bound to be used at some point. The mistake occurred long ago, wherever and whenever the original point of purchase transpired. After sitting down and reviewing these fool-proof alternatives with her, hopefully my family (and yours too!) will not make such a silly dinner blunder again.


*Just kidding with this one, although they don’t sell plates, you can absolutely go here to purchase as many plasticized cups as you want. (Get it? You know how you can tell when a joke’s funny? When you have to use asterisks and parentheses to explain how funny it is.)

BJ’s: the source for loads so big, it’s hard to swallow

Always in the mood for BJs

Whenever I find myself with some time to kill, whether (weather?) it be a rainy evening, or a fun day Sunday, my go-to easiest, most satisfying, green option is always the same: BJ’s.

Hold on though (perv)-- before your questionable thought process goes down (no pun intended) the that's-what-she-said path (it's a slippery slope, I know), I'm not talking about Bill Clinton’s favorite past-time. Instead, when I say whole-heartedly that I LOVE BJ’s, I am referring to the bulk warehouse wonderstore that is BJ's Wholesale.

If you have not heard of BJ's, perhaps you've heard of Costco? If you have not heard of either, perhaps you have been living under a rock? BJ's and Costco are stores that, for a low yearly membership fee, sell bulk amounts of your favorite every day necessities. Basically, and I am not exaggerating—if you can think it, they probably sell it; in bulk, and cheap. (Prescription druges, fresh and frozen foods, DVDs, cards, pet supplies, electronics, Fendi purses, engagement rings... you name it.) Think CVS meets Superfresh meets Best Buy meets eBay, supersized and with an order of fries. That's BJ's.

BJs? That’s my favorite!

BJ's has been a wonder to me ever since my first trip there about four years ago. I was just a young, impressionable twenty year old, and the large warehouse seemed like some sort of playground with its vast aisles stacked to the soaring ceiling with oversized items.

BJs Expert

During my most recent trip, I stocked up on a two month's supply of toothpaste, deodorant (even though I naturally smell like roses), face soap, razor blades, kitty litter and kitty food (hey, times are rough), cereal, frozen vegetables and chicken, and a handful of delicious perishable foods including peppers, spinach, milk, deli meats and sushi. (I even found three simple white tank tops for $10!) With my over-sized shopping cart all but over-flowing with newly bought goodies, the total on my receipt came to a cool $90. I love things that are great, I love things that are buys, and this is one reason I love BJ's; as it combines two of my most favorite things with innumerable great buys.

Get a load of from BJ’s

Buying your usual household necessities at stores like BJ’s has many redeeming green qualities. For starters, stocking up on the things you need saves you numerous trips to the store, which will add up to a lot of conserved gas and time. And, since you know there are certain things you'll always need -- laundry detergent, shampoo and conditioner, paper towels, lotion, you get the drift-- you can't really have too much of these things around since they don't tend to go bad. In one trip to BJ's you can buy a bottle of shampoo big enough for Paul Bunyon (and his Babe, too) that will last throughout the sweaty lumberjacking summer months!

Another way BJ's shows their green side is by disposing of the idea of using plastic bags. (Just think of how wasteful it would be to bag each oversized item in an equally oversized plastic bag!) They simply load up your cart without the earth un-friendly plastic bags and send you on your merry (fully stocked) way.

BJ's has been making even more efforts to be eco-friendly and energy efficient. You might ask, "what about all the cardboard from the packaging, and all the cardboard they use to box the products in the warehouse?" They recycle it! BJ's website explains how the company recycles a huge portion of the cardboard used in the warehouse, along with reducing the lighting in the warehouse up to as much as 50% in the summer, and they are even switching to LED lights in some areas of the stores. The company is even tapping into natural energy by installing solar panels on the roofs of some of their warehouses and using skylights to decrease the need for in-store lighting.

Are you as in love with BJ's as I am, yet?!

I mean, who doesn't like getting more for less? While saving money and gas? Not to mention that shopping is always fun, and, if you're like me and don't mind letting loose sometimes, careening down aisles of economy-sized products with both feet on your shopping cart is an added bonus. (Weeee!)

So anyway, now you know why I love BJs so much. If you get a chance, please feel free to share with my neighbors? (They always give me funny looks when I’m done screaming this sentiment off the rooftop of my building after a particularly successful shopping trip. Right, like I’m the weird one?)

Skinny For Life

And so the sleek shall inherit the Earth: eat less, and live longer.

In stark opposition to the plethora of Seventeen and YM magazines stories touting only the negative sides to anorexia and bulimia-- new studies seem to support the idea that the less food a person consumes, the longer, and better, they live. Seems like Eating Disorders need to hire a better PR company…

The premise isn't that new, people have been searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth for thousands of years, and stories about staying young forever continue to circulate throughout modern societies due to our culture’s obsession with youth. Everyone's heard the story of Dorian Grey, girls everywhere are obsessed with Edward Cullens, and stories like these will continue to be created and passed long, because people love the fictious idea of staying young and beautiful forever.

Meanwhile, wouldntcha know that the very trick to achieving this may have been right under our nose along? Literally. By keeping your mouth shut-- and staying hungry-- you can stay young possibly forever.

I’ve heard this lore before, and dismissed it. (Probably because it was too impractical to ever be applicable to real life?) However, I was reminded of this "starvation= longer life" theory when I heard that Oprah was doing an upcoming show about this, because, you know, if Oprah is recognizing this, it has to be a big deal. (Or, soon will be.)

It’s an interesting idea, and would make a great “would you rather” question—is an extra 20 years of life worth sacrificing the foods you love, forever?

Consider: Monkeys, Mice and Men! (oh my!)

• Mice that are on restricted diets are living twice as long as their litter mates who are fed regular diets, and can live for 4 years instead of the average 2.

• In a study between two groups of Rhesus monkeys, where one group is fed normally, and one group is fed 30% less, the differences are extreme: the chunky monkey control-group is nearing the end of their life-span (about 27 years) and dealing with high occurrences of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. The skinny monkeys actually look and behave as if they were much younger-- with shinier coats, and fewer instances of health problems.

• Humans that have joined the CRS- Calorie Restriction Society- (a group that has severely restricted their calories for years now, some of which are are also participating in the Washington University monkey study) have lowered their blood pressure, reduced their body fat, and lessened risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. And, they’re looking more physically attractive for it too. As stated by one CRS husband regarding his wife, "to be honest, if you saw her without any clothes, you'd see she looks pretty darn good, like a woman like of many, many years younger."

If you’re interested in science stuff, there are a lot of supportive and significant statistics regarding this kind of lifestyle; and if you're interested, please reference the link above to the CRS website. However, I find myself more interested in the psychological “hows” and “whys” of this lifestyle?

How can people force themselves to live like this, indefinitely?

An example of the menu at a celebratory occasion dubbed a “happy hour” for a group of calorie restricters includes a cocktail of low-calorie soup, some walnuts, a jar of pureed green beans (preferably baby food) spread on flour-free bread. Was the celebration over the fact that there was food?! Foods with high-fat content, such as meats, cheese, sweets, basically everything worth eating, are totally cut out. Instead, dense, high-fiber foods are to make up the bulk of your diet, with the emphasis not neccesarily on being thin, but being healthy.

The people in the CRS are not going on these restricted diets to lose weight, everything they do is solely for the purpose of elongating their lives. But, if you are drastically cutting your food intake, day after day, for the rest of your life, how do you stop yourself from being too skinny? Is there a point where you weight is considered too skinny and negates whatever health benefits you’re aiming to achieve? On the official CRS site, it defines your goal "thinness" (which needs to be achieved to maximize long-life benefits,) as whatever your weight was as a teenager. (With one noteworthy caveat-- this only applies as long as you were NOT one of those morbidly obese kids that would be shown on another accredited talk show hosts line-up, gobbling up everything in sight because, as Maury would expertly suss out, food was the only medium your teenaged mother could express her love with.)

But how does being hungry make your body live longer??

There are many compelling arguments to support the longevity issue, but advocates believe that at the very least, following CR will enhance your health right now by minimizing body fat, inhibiting cell mutation, lowering blood glucose levels, decreasing inflammation, activating brain-alertness, promoting deep restful sleep, increasing energy levels and creating a more youthful biological age.

As the recent studies from the National Institute on Aging, Harvard University, and Washington University show-- a calorie restricted diet can include many other benefits too, one of them being extending human life. Lab studies dating all the way back to the thirties show that mice and all sorts of laboratory critters, when placed on a severely restricted diet, lived fifty percent longer than the oldest members of their peer community.

I don’t expect people to forgo the easy fix that Botox can provide in order to achieve the same effect that starving themselves for the rest of their lives might produce, but it is very interesting to think about.

If in the end, the skinniest of us will be what's left over (like the cock-roach equivalent of humans), the end of times will be populated with models, homeless people, and Rachel Zoe clients. I suspect that if this "calorie restriction=longevity" theory is true, current records would indicate that models already have a much higher than usual life-span in comparison to us regular working folk-- and if it weren’t for those pesky drugs and that meddlesome alcohol, those hungry bitches could probably have gotten away with it and lived forever!

"That's what HE said..."

I feel like this is cheating somehow since I didn’t write it…

But as people who do bad things are known to do-- I am trying to make myself feel better about doing something that makes me feel guilty, by coming up with justifications of why I should proceed with the questionable act...

Yes, I'm arguing with myself (yet again), that since the following would be enjoyable and relevant for you to read (and really, it's all about YOU, dear reader. Q: Why would I ever want to withhold the good stuff from YOU? A: I wouldn't!), and I’m not trying to play it off like I wrote this, it’s a good thing for me to share my awesome findings with you?

It’s like recycling other people’s creativity! Yes... that soothes my conscious and makes me feel ok about this...

So, today on this blog I discovered called "CheapHealthyGood," there is a whole list of “eco” quotes from the quirkiest of kooks on NBC's "The Office." Please enjoy the following list of the best Dwight Schrute-isms (which I cherry-picked for you), followed by it's eco-relevance:

DWIGHT SAYS: “Michael always says ‘K-I-S-S. Keep it simple, stupid.’ Great advice. Hurts my feelings every time.”

DWIGHT MEANS: Fresh, simple ingredients are the best way to a cheap, healthy meal.In other words, eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, dabs of dairy, healthy fats and lean meats are the building blocks of delicious dinners and happy digestive systems. In the long run, they cost less and taste better than pre-packaged stuff, too. (and probably have less bugs and mouse parts in them...?)

DWIGHT SAYS: “My grandfather left me a 60-acre working beet farm. I run it with my cousin Mose. We sell beets to the local stores and restaurants. It’s a nice little farm ... sometimes teenagers use it for sex.”

DWIGHT MEANS: Buy local.Not only does it support neighborhood farmers (who need security to keep randy kids away), but food that’s shipped from nearby tastes better, is better for you, and is easier on the environment. See here for more.

DWIGHT SAYS: “Yes, I have decided to shun Andy Bernard for the next three years, which I'm looking forward to. It's an Amish technique; it's like slapping someone with silence. I was shunned from the age of 4 until my 6th birthday, for not saving the excess oil from a can of tuna.”

DWIGHT MEANS: Save leftovers, or suffer the terrible consequences.Whether it’s excess mashed potatoes or those last two slices of pizza, try to pack your extras away. It’ll keep your portion size down, make a delicious office meal the next day, and put your lunch money back where it belongs – in your pocket.DWIGHT SAYS: "Oh you know that line on the top of the shrimp? That's feces."

DWIGHT SAYS: “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.” (This is my favorite, hilarious yet insightful.)

DWIGHT MEANS: Find a food anti-idol.Imagine your most extravagant friend. You know, the high roller - the one that doesn’t think twice about his finances. For what does he dole out the most dough? If he’s anything like my big-spender buds, it’s food. Learn from his bad example and try to use good judgment when buying groceries, ordering out, or settling down for a restaurant meal.

DWIGHT SAYS: [to Toby's daughter] “Hello, tiny one. YOU ARE THE FUTURE!”

DWIGHT MEANS: Teach your children well. When it comes to eating and budgeting, kids learn largely from the examples set by their parents. Whether it’s having dinner together or serving more vegetables, changing a bad habit or starting a few good ones will benefit them for life.

(In the spirit of things, just"recycling" a cutie dog picture I found.)

Zombie Nation

Zombies love nature! And brains!

This idea is SO not girly at all. In fact, it’s probably the opposite of girly. And, despite the fact that my favorite color is pink, and I’m 100% made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, I can’t help the fact that I also love zombies? (Does it soften the topic if every zombie mention is in a decorative font?)

Sadly, an embarrassing amount of free time is spent thinking about zombies, and how to best handle a sudden attack or infestation. (Seriously-- please don’t tell anyone this, I’m only sharing this with you because I trust you... but sometimes at work, when I'm getting a drink at the water fountain and someone walks by me, I think to myself what Iwould do if that person suddenly turned into a zombie? Would there be enough time to run away, or defend myself? In most instances, there would be no good opportunity for recourse, and I’d be a goner.) Yes, I realize this is NOT normal, but isn’t the first step to fixing a problem admitting there is a problem?

“Hi, my name is Kelly. I’m an aquaholic that thinks about zombies a lot?” (Do you think there’s any hope for me?)

Anyway, after watching Resident Evil 3 “Apocalypse” for roughly the 50th time this weekend, I found myself drawing lots of parallels between zombies and being “green.” (And I’m referring to more than just their skin tone… )

Ready for this?

Despite the semi-varying premises of zombie flicks, the constant theme (beyond brain eating) is that the zombies always win. Even though they are ugly, bungling messes with non-functioning brains-- since they act purely on their basest of instincts, they always seem to prevail over the over-analytical humans. Zombies effectively oust humans from the number #1 spot on the food chain, as humans make up a large part of their food pyramid.

In light of recent current events, zombies have more relevance than ever, as they seem like they have the potential to be the dream American citizen.

Consider:

They are like the purest of hippies, with all forms of bathing becoming nothing but a vague memory. (No need for toilet flush taxes, or water restrictions for them!)Toxic waste would stop being created, and land-fills could be left alone to rejoin nature.

Al Gore would just eat up the idea of zombies! They eat only local organic foods, never fly commercially (or, ahem, in private jets) and in fact they forsake cars and all forms of public transportation in favor of walking everywhere. They wouldn’t even blink an eye if not one drop of fossil fuel was ever used again.

The government would love them because zombies don’t think for themselves, (nor want to), and have no need or concern for their money. They could care less if their kids had good educations available to them. Their entire existence revolves around working just for food, and racking up tons of bad credit wouldn’t be an issue.

No one could ever blame zombies of being racist or sexist, as they truly consider themselves to all be equals.

It seems like zombie movies hit closer to home than any of us realized, as these movies are obviously really just cleverly disguised satires of our current social situations. I mean, come on people! If we could all just learn to act a little bit more like zombies, our government would be so much happier- and isn’t that really what we all strive for?

As usual, I could go on and on, but I am recommending to myself to stop now, as I don’t want to put any ideas in the heads of the scientists working in the U.S. equivalent of the underground (literally) “Umbrella” corporations.

If you thought the idea of 8 spiders was hard to swallow...

I don’t even know where it originated, or if it should be referred to as an “urban legend” or “old wive’s tale” or what, but regardless- everyone has heard of the alleged fact that the average human eats 8 spiders a year in their sleep. (Some sources say it's 8 spiders a week!)

Ugh, sounds so disgusting. There you are, innocently dreaming away when a busy-bodied 8-legged freak decides to get all up in your business, and make your mouth it's new hangout spot. Little do they know that their presence on your tongue triggers your biological response to start chewing, and it’s bye-bye Itsy Bitsy.

Even though I heard this “fact” multiple times, I easily dismissed it as lore. Until… I woke up a few times with things that looked suspiciously like spider-legs stuck in my retainer. (Yes, I still wear my retainer. Big-ups to Dr. Drummond!) And then there was that time that I woke up and blew my nose, only to find a curled up dead baby spider in my snot. Ew eww ewww!

I begrudgingly accepted the fact that maybe people do eat bugs in their sleep, and even though it was disgusting to think about, it’s not like we’ve heard of anyone dying from this, so it can’t be that bad? Right? Right?! (The stories about the unlucky person who had a Black Widow crawl into their drooling mouths have yet to circulate I guess?)

Thinking about it in broader terms (and by that, I mean beyond myself), people around the world voluntarily eat insects all the time. Bugs are supposed to be a great form of protein, and tasty to boot. I mean, who can argue the wisdom the great Judy Blume has imparted on us? She was cognizant of these bug-eating issues, and tried to educate a whole generation by writing multiple “fiction” books on this very topic. There is “Superfudge” and the nice old neighborhood lady who made delicious chocolate chip cookies with worm bits, and then the descriptively titled “How to Eat Fried Worms,” just to name a few. Judy obviously knew what was up. (Either that, or she had a loose-lipped husband that worked in a peanut butter plant?)

Anyway, with the recent far-reaching outbreak of salmonella in a Georgia peanut-butter factory, food cleanliness has been brought to the forefront of the daily news and people’s imaginations. So people, imagine hearing the news of what is really, legally in your store-bought food.

Yes.

Ohio University conducted a study which shows that we eat from one to two pounds of insects each year, without knowing it.

The following sounds like ingredients Harry Potter and the Weasley twins would need for a batch of trick sandwiches for the Slytherins, but really- these are things in YOUR grocery cart:

30 insect fragments and at least one rodent hair mixed up in your creamy
nutty deliciousness that is peanut-butter.

20 maggots of varying size in any given can of vegetables.

Up to 25,000 plant lice in a measly 10 ounces of beer. (And, I could go on.)

Yup- the government knows about, and condones this!
In fact, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) publishes a booklet that lists the maximum amount of “defects” each food item is allowed to contain before health problems arise. The rules are changing constantly, and there have already been six different versions of “The Food Defect Action Levels: Levels of Natural or Unavoidable Defects in Foods That Present No Health Hazards for Humans” since 1995. Among the booklet’s list of allowable “defects” are “insect and rodent filth (both hair and poop), mold, insects, rot, insect larvae (maggots), mites, insect
eggs, parasites, mildew and foreign matter (which includes 'objectionable' items
like “sticks, stones, burlap bagging, and cigarette butts”).

As anyone who has ever picked a fresh piece of fruit or vegetable knows, nature is unpredictable and invasive. Even if you’re personally over-seeing small quantities of produce growing in your backyard, it is impossible to keep the wayward worm, spider, or other “natural contaminant” out of your apples, corn, or green-beans. Now imagine what a food processing factory must be like, with different personnel of different skill-levels in and out all day long, huge food containment areas that are impossible to micro-manage, and rodents and insects that are biologically attracted to the food. The FDA allows the presence of a certain amount of naturally occurring “defects” t our food because it is “economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects." Meaning- it would be way too expensive to implement systems where every piece of food, everywhere, was kept in pristine condition, especially when the vast majority of “defects” occurring are completely harmless. (When food items do exceed the FDA approved "defect" percentages, they are immediately removed and disposed of.)

Interesting side note- a man who had worked in a food factory for a number of years did develop a way to keep foods safe from bugs and rodents. He implemented his new techniques at a local mustard factory. The resulting “pure” batches of mustard contained zero “defects,” and yet everyone who sampled it complained that it tasted funny. So, not only do the bugs, etc., add flavoring that we like to our common food items, we have been consuming them for so long that we are unconsciously accustomed to this, and our taste-buds have come to expect these surprise ingredients.

We only consider these things to be gross due to our nation’s current perception of things. The FDA considers these defects to only be “offensive to the senses,” which is to say “ugly” as opposed to “harmful.” Bugs in our food is really not bad — many people in the world practice entomophagy (eating bugs). "They're actually pretty healthy," says Dr. Philip Nixon, an entomologist at the University of Illinois.

The unsettling part comes from the fact that despite food’s eye-catching packaging and nutritional labeling, we don’t really know what we’re putting into our mouths. However, we have been eating these things all of our lives, and just didn’t know it. These additions to our foods are not hurting us, nor harming us physically in any way, and are in fact increasing the food's nutritional value and taste. While ignorance is bliss and most Americans are not ready to see a fly or a mouse leg in their cereal or loaf of bread, if the "defects" are ground-up into unidentifiable bits and mixed in with the other food ingredients- should we even care if we’re eating it?

It took me a few minutes to really stomach (ha) the concept, but walking down the long hall to the bathroom (it seems this where I do my best thinking?) I decided that it’s like making the best of everything nature has to offer, and not letting anything unnecessary go to waste- and instead just go to your waist.