SNACKS AND TREATS
IT’S A BUMMER, BUT ALL THOSE INBETWEEN-Y EATS USUALLY COME IN NON-RECYCLABLE PLASTIC
I’m far from perfect with this stuff. When I Iook at the plastic we still accumulate, I’d say a fair amount of it is from impulse, out and about, ‘accidental’ purchases. My kids still pester for things, and I often cave in. When it works well, it’s with a bit of forward planning. Making sure we’ve got plenty of things kicking about at home that are easy to chuck in a bag and take with us. Or treat-y enough to satisfy a ‘lazy afternoon on the sofa’ craving.
TWO FARMERS CRISPS
If you’d asked me a few months ago, what was the plastic thing that I couldn’t give up. Without pause I would have said crisps.
So learning that I could now get crisps in home compostable packaging was like being told I’d won the raffle (I did originally type the lottery, but maybe that’s pushing things).
To the best of my knowledge, Two Farmers Crisps are the only compostable packs out there, but surely it’s only a matter of time before others catch on. (Hurry up Hula Hoops.) They are not cheap. But they are delicious. One to file under buy-less-buy-better, perhaps.
SNACT
Well, this is good.
Snact are taking on two issues with these little bags of fruit ‘jerky’ (a bit like fruit wind-ups / Yo-Yo Bears).
Firstly, they are made from wonky produce, rejected by supermarkets, to help tackle the criminal amount of food waste in the UK.
And secondly, the packaging is 100% home compostable (the word ‘home’ is key - a lot of compostable bio-plastics only break-down in industrial composting facilities, which renders them pointless if you don’t have your food waste collected).
You can get the fruit jerky, and fruit and seed bars, online from Amazon, Ocado and various IRL shops.
POPCORN
I mean, what could be easier?
You’ll find plain popping corn almost everywhere, then all you need is a saucepan. Even if you buy a bag of kernals in plastic bag, the amount of popcorn you’ll be able to make, means it’s still a very low-plastic option.
It’s easy to find in unpackaged in bulk stores, if you’re lucky enough to have one nearby, or, order it plastic-free from Zero Waste Club or Plastic Free Pantry.
If salty or sweet feels a bit boring to you, Pinterest is overflowing with ways to jazz it up. Or next level, use it as the base to make these rather delicious looking rocky-road bars.
My kids are totally happy to be sent off to school with this as their after school ‘club day’ snacks, even if they do look like 1970’s throw-backs (it’s the brown paper bags that do it).
BULK STORE FINDS
Maybe it’s just a me thing, but decanting things into smaller pots immediately makes them better.
We are really lucky - we have a BYO bulk shop nearby that has loads of things that make great snacks. There are the obvious ones like nuts and dried fruit, but we’re totally spoilt, with things like wasabi peas, salt and vinegar fava beans (sound weird, taste amazing) chocolate buttons and japanese rice crackers.
You can also get this type of thing (and loads of other store-cupboard essentials) delivered by The Plastic Free Pantry.
Failing that, just buy your usual things in as big a bags as you can find/store. Bigger bags always means less plastic versus single serving anything.
bakery treats
I’m a newly recruited uber-fan of the pockets of independent food shops and street markets I have near me.
A mooch along Lordship Lane in East Dulwich can pretty much sort my weekly shop, with minimal dodgy packaging. And a dangerous ten minute stroll from home takes me to The Dulwich Bakery, home of piles of these enormous ring donuts. It’s lucky I’m vegan, or this would be A Problem.
My roundabout point is there are lots of packaging free treats to be found when you simply avoid the supermarket and explore the littler shops you probably have nearby.
Just remember to keep a cloth produce bag with you for sprinkle covered ‘emergencies’.
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