Wrapped and Warped

When you're a foodie, going grocery shopping is hardly ever a chore, but a quest. There's something stimulating about walking up and down each aisle, looking for new products and getting inspired to do new things with old favorites. I've found it's one of the best ways to stay connected to the mainstream food world. Anyone can page through glossy magazines, watch endless hours of cooking programs, and buy over-priced one trick pony tools, but in order to be in touch with what's going on in the food world outside of the gourmet, one must get to the source.
Recent trips to my local grocery stores have yielded some disturbing findings. Yes, I shudder at neon colored kids' drinks, pudding that can stay at room temperature, and the fact that butchers' twine is shelved in the pet aisle, but these are trivial. The new supermarket culprits prove that bad things come in multiple-package products.
Take for example, the wave of 100 calorie snack packs flooding the market. On the surface, these products are a convenient way to stick to dietary goals. Dive a little deeper and these snacks no longer seem helpful.
Is it true that we as a society are unable to make healthful decisions that we require corporate America to preportion our meals? Have we gotten so lazy where we are unwilling to create our own packages of cracker, cookie, and trail mix portions? Above all else, the question I would love to see answered is what happens to all of this needless packaging?
Foil-like packaging is not biodegradable. Cellophane will be with us for the next few thousand years if pitched carelessly into a landfill. So I have to wonder, with the popularity of these uber-expensive doll-sized snacks, how much harm is convenience doing?
Here's my solution: stop buying these snacks and start recycling. Learn what a portion of your favorite snack is and stick to it. Reusable containers will save the earth and your wallet when used instead of baggies.
By limiting the amount of packaging you waste, you truly can make a difference.