How to Be a Conscious Eater

3 Skip single-use beverage bottles. In the United States alone,

as reported by National Geographic, each of us has been buy-

ing an average of 346 plastic drink bottles a year—nearly

one a day. At your desk or your home, just use a plain old

glass or mug. Away from home, bring a refillable stainless

steel or glass water bottle. Do I expect us all to go cold

turkey overnight? Of course not. If you’re on an airplane,

dehydrated, without a reusable container, by all means,

drink some bottled water. Ditto if you find yourself out in

the sun at the park or the beach all day, or doing an intense

workout, and nothing else is available. But if you’re gro-

cery shopping (and if your water is safe, as we discussed

in Part 1), don’t make a routine of all the members of the

family relying on bottled beverages for daily hydration.

This includes not just water but sport drinks, juices, and

the like, which aren’t good for health anyway.

4 Cut down on foods in cans lined with BPA. This means that,

when possible, opt for fresh or frozen, or items that come

in glass containers (such as tomato sauce in jars instead of

cans); for canned products, find brands that are BPA-free

(though you’ll want to check what material the brand uses

to replace that plastic lining).

5 Do a trial run. As a starting point, try going plastic-free for

just a week or a month; think of giving up single-use plas-

tics for Lent or the month of January, much like people do

with red meat or alcohol or added sugar. If nothing else,

it will make you aware of all the places in your life where

you’re relying on single-use plastics.

6 Buy in bulk. Most health food stores and some larger chain

supermarkets like Sprouts and Whole Foods Market have

sizable bulk aisles. Buying in bulk can not only save you

money but also cut down on your consumption of single-use

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