Plastic free: Rice

Uncle Ben has always been one of my all-time favorite uncles.

When EnviroWoman was a kid, World’sBestMom made sure he was a regular guest at the family dinner table. ‘Cuz he was such a high quality refined kinda guy.

No matter what World’sBestMom was serving, it seemed only natural Uncle Ben was there. There was Spanish Ben, Shrimp Creole on Ben, Chicken Cordon Bleu with Ben, Curried Ben, Steak with Ben, and EnviroWoman’s absolute fav Fav FAV food of all time….Chicken Parmesan with Ben. (Yeah, I know, that seems a bit odd for a vegetarian to claim, but 'tis the truth)

No doubt about it WorldsBestMom was WorldsBestCook and part of her secret was her love affair with Uncle Ben. Funny, Dad never seemed to mind.

When EnviroWoman fledged the nest, she carried on the family tradition, inviting Uncle Ben to her own dinner table for vegetarian feasts. Despite being a meat sidekick all those years, Uncle Ben adjusted well to tofu, beans, and veggies. Such a versatile lovable Uncle.

So, EnviroWoman was a bit worried when she took the no-new-plastic pledge. ‘Cuz she always remember Uncle Ben dressed in a plastic bag.

But what can I say, Uncle Ben is a stand up kinda guy because EnviroWoman found him in a cardboard box among all his friends dressed in plastic. Phew.

But hunting for a plastic-free Uncle Ben reminded EnviroWoman there was a whole ‘nuther world of rice. The wonderful thing is, there’s lots of great varieties to fit her every mood.

So, when EnviroWoman is feeling elegant, she goes for the pearls. In an exotic mood – indian basmati. In a granola-kinda mood – it's brown. And on occasion – EnviroWoman even goes wild.

And here’s the real sidekicker…most of them are available in the bulk food bins section. Yipee.

She’s had to make quite a few dietary adjustments in this no-new-plastic life. But not when it comes to rice. It’s still a staple in EnviroWoman’s diet. One small victory in living plastic-free.

And even better, Uncle Ben is still a frequent guest at her table.

So here’s how things add up:

Category: Rice
SAINTS: Uncle Ben’s Converted (boxed), Delta (boxed), any rice from the bulk food bins, Kraft Minute Rice (bleck!), Uncle Ben's Classiques, and Rice a Roni and Casbah depending on what the seasoning package is made of.
Price: Same
Quality: Same
SINNERS: Lundberg, Uncle Ben's bagged and Fast & Fancy and Bistro brands, Sun Rice, Safeway, Kokuno Rose, Canoes, Plantation, Liptons Sidekicks

Lessons Learned:

• Bulk Food Bins Rock!!! I bow down to their glory. They sustain me. EnviroWoman will never go back to ‘regular’ shopping again.
• Uncle Ben Still Rocks!!!