A Green Fire

Today for lunch, I went to a grocery store to get a hot lunch.  I like that option b/c usually there are several vegetable choices and there is a small line, and I like to take my food to the park afterwards.

This was my first time at this particular grocery store and after she put my food in a Styrofoam container, she then wrapped it in plastic!?! I had never seen that done before and I was quite surprised.  My tea was in a Styrofoam cup and came with a plastic straw. Sheesh.  I felt like a walking garbage pail kid, spreading filth where ever I stepped.

Well, I get to the park and open it up and inside the plastic sleeve with my plastic fork and knife are my tiny salt and pepper packets.  I checked just because I was curious.  The pepper packet said ingredients, ground pepper.  The salt however contained, Sodium chloride, sodium silicoalum? (last letter or letters torn off because I opened it before I read the back) , dextrose, potassium iodide, and sodium bicarbonate.  Whoa.

Just what is all that?  Well the first ingredient is, well, salt.  The second is a mystery, the third is a form of sugar, the fourth is added to table salt in small quantities to make it “iodized”.  Lastly we have sodium bicarbonate, more commonly known as baking soda.

That’s a lot of stuff for a tiny packet that is boldly labeled SALT and instead is much more.  I did not sprinkle it on my black eyed peas.  I went with the ground pepper instead.  I’m not sure why this salt packet has so many ingredients.  My salt at home is labeled, salt.

I am unhappy with how much plastic and Styrofoam I encountered with this lunch as well.  This has inspired me to reinforce my goal of bringing my lunch as much as possible.