The convenience of processed foods has become an integral part of our fast-paced lives. We all are guilty of consuming those pre-packaged meals and snacks, offering quick solutions for our busy schedules, but convenience often comes at a cost—both to our health and the environment.
The seemingly endless aisles of processed foods in supermarkets frequently harbor a hidden array of artificial preservatives, additives, and flavor enhancers that raise concerns about their impact on our well-being.
Take your daily bread for example:
It’s riddled with preservatives such as Sodium Benzoate which can sometimes react with other preservatives to produce a carcinogen such as benzene.
The examples are numerous and while I won’t be discussing in detail describing the various pitfalls of these products, you should get the general idea. Not just they are harmful to us, but they also have adverse effects on the environment. Preservatives used in food products can have adverse effects on the environment, particularly when they are disposed of improperly or when they contribute to unsustainable practices.
For example, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a very widely used preservative in foods and cosmetic products. Due to poor disposal and a significant prominence, it finds its way into aquatic water and soil, just damaging ecological balance.
Now enough of lecture on these chemicals and the products. You can’t avoid 100% of these and the human body isn’t that fragile to not be able to tolerate some of it, but the impact of it on the environment and other life forms is not really good. When that’s the case, you can try out some natural ways of food preservation, on top of avoiding these products.
Some of the list of foods that you can try preparing at home and with ease are :
Homemade Jams and Jellies
We love this and spend so much both financially and in terms of health to have it. Ever thought about crafting your own jams and jellies? With a handful of your favorite fruits, a bit of honey or maple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon juice, you can whip up spreads that beat store-bought versions any day, yep those are all the natural preservatives that you need! Plus, no need for funky artificial stuff – just pure goodness of fruit that’s as easy as pie.
Pickled Vegetables
Craving that tangy zing, sour and sweet flavor? It’s simple! Grab some vinegar, a pinch of salt, and your choice of spices – all acting like our natural preservatives. No artificial processing, just crunchy, flavor-packed bites that’ll have you wondering why on earth were you buying them at all. Some really delicious pickles can be made out of gingers and garlic which you must try. Apart from these, fruits can also be pickled! So you don’t have to limit yourself to vegetables especially if they bore you.
Fresh Salsas and Sauces
Salsa and sauces are good accompaniments and of then the only desirable thing on your plate. I personally consume them a lot, and having them made naturally might be a wise decision to make. Just gather some juicy tomatoes, fragrant herbs, a handful of onions, and garlic and you can conjure your own homemade salsa or ketchup, natural and free from preservatives.
Yogurt
This one’s a must, yogurt is very good for your gut health and very easy to prepare at home, until and unless you have a dearth of good quality milk in the region where you live, there is absolutely no reason for you to buy this. You can easily prepare good quality yogurt following some good tutorials out there. One less reason to use preservative-ridden food and get one additional way to improve your health.
The list is quite vast, something which this post can’t fully cover, but you get the idea. You can make a start with these and later progress towards other types of foods too. Remember that you would be choosing a very healthy lifestyle and there is nothing stopping you from that. You can also encourage your friends and families to try this out and even share recipes and enlighten them on the need to use natural preservatives.
