Why do we rely on packaged goods? Bonus: Roasted Garlic Recipe

Packaging as a whole, seems to make us feel better. We see it as sanitary, as clean, as safe. In reality the sanitary, clean, and safe comes from whatever that item was packaged in and what is contained inside that package. 

Is the plastic that it is packaged in safe? Is it leaching chemicals into our food? It doesn’t biodegrade, so even when it breaks down those plastics are still there, they are just too small for us to see, but guess what? They aren’t too small for us to consume. Micro plastics end up in our oceans, soil, water, and snow, and that means that they also end up in our food and drinking water. It can be devastating and overwhelming to think about.

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Why would you buy roasted garlic paste in a plastic tube? Why does my English Cucumber need to be shrink wrapped in plastic? Why in the world is it cheaper to buy three bell peppers prepackaged in plastic than it is to buy three bell peppers on their own?

The reality of the first question is that we (as a country) don’t cook from scratch as much anymore. You can roast garlic in your toaster oven in just about 20 minutes while you take care of 7 other things in your house. Fresh garlic is so cheap ($0.50-$1.00 a head) and you don’t have to roast the whole head at the same time. 

Quick Roasted Garlic Recipe:

What you need:

• An oven safe glass bowl big enough to hold your desired amount of roasted garlic
• Olive oil – for this type of recipe, the nicer the better as you are going to get added flavor from your oil. We are currently using this one as our “nice oil”
• Garlic
• Sea salt

What to do:

• Peel your garlic cloves
• Put them in your oven safe bowl
• Cover or mostly cover them in olive oil
• Sprinkle with sea salt
• Put in your toaster oven on the “bake” setting at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes
• Let the bowl cool for a few minutes before you take them out
• Smash clove with a fork onto a cracker/toasted bread or use in a recipe
• ENJOY – try not to eat them all (you might be a little stinky tomorrow)

Most prepackaged products these days contain food additives like Xanthan Gum or even some more natural food additives like citric acid or citrus fiber to keep them shelf stable. Now, the gourmet more natural stuff is a bit better, but still… shouldn’t your roasted garlic paste just be roasted garlic, oil, and salt? Is the other stuff really necessary?

Other big culprits of food additives are shelf stable salad dressings, especially those marked as “diet, low fat, and skinny” versions of their standard selves.

I discovered fairly recently that Xanthan Gum was the cause of my migraines. This is a food additive that is used in many items, especially sauces to thicken them and keep the ingredients from separating. Most articles about Xanthan Gum say that its MOST LIKELY safe when taken in small amounts, but I can tell you, it is not safe for me. 

One chicken wing with Frank’s Red Hot on it and I am bed bound with a raging migraine the next day. I even had to give up my beloved Cholula. Now, most of the time I can avoid these ingredients by reading labels, but most restaurants don’t give away their recipes, so I might never know that they use a dash of Cholula or Frank’s to give their sauce a little kick. 

This leads to a lot of anxiety surrounding eating out at new restaurants. My solution has been to recreate favorite recipes at home and eat at “healthy” restaurants, or if I’m feeling daring, I take a risk after asking a few questions. I have found that restaurants where they cook from scratch and have an Executive Chef on staff don’t typically add xanthan gum to their sauces and foods. 

The biggest foods to avoid if you are trying to avoid xanthan gum and other “stabilizers and thickeners” are prepackaged sauces, salad dressings, syrups, and over engineered “diet,” “low fat,” and gluten-free products, I highly encourage you to look at the ingredients on the foods in your cupboard and fridge. I mostly just avoid over engineered products in general. 

Alright, so get rid of that tube of roasted garlic, container of ranch dressing, and jar of hot sauce, and just make some at home.

Tell me! What are your favorite “from scratch” recipes that have replaced something you used to buy ALL THE TIME??