Bountiful Baskets

I've been trying to eat cleaner--i.e., less processed foods, staying away from dairy & gluten. On the whole, I don't eat out much, avoid a lot of freezer--> microwave food, and stay away from milk. But I DO have a penchant for high fructose corn syrup (candy mostly) and cake, and I will occasionally eat a frozen dinner. And I may be able to eat my body weight in cheese and ice cream.

My strategy before now was to buy more fruits, veggies, and lean proteins. After years of this (and slipping when I even hear a whisper that there's cake in the lunch room), I've found that I get the same fruits and veggies week after week. I rarely branch out from the lettuce, celery, carrots, cucumber, strawberry, apple, orange refrain.

A week ago we signed up for our first Bountiful Basket, which operates in several states. For $16.50, you purchase into the food coop that week. Like a CSA, you are just guaranteed that you will get a selection of fruits and veggies, not specific fruits and veggies. And each week the selection changes. I see this as a great way to bring some novelty into my produce for the week, and I see it as a way to essentially guilt myself into eating the Bountiful Basket for that week. Eating more produce = less room for "junk."

Last week we got a nice assortment of produce, including bananas, yellow peppers, plums, lettuce, tomatoes, chiles. The only "weird" item we received was fennel. Not that fennel is that odd, but I only know it as a spice and not this big thing that resembled celery with little grass-like fronds coming off it. Hey, I still tried it. (Yay me!)

This week we didn't get anything "weird," but we got a few things that I really, really like and a few things I don't really like. I love nectarines, butter lettuce, melon, apples, peppers and bananas. I'm not so hot about mushrooms, avocados and brussel sprouts. It's all good because we gave those to my mom.

It's also a good deal because what you get in the basket is usually worth at least $25 if you got the same items at the supermarket, and you get it for $16.50. They will also be a bit fresher because Bountiful Baskets cut out the middleman.

We are really enjoying the Bountiful Baskets each week. Aside from ending up with something you may not like or know what to do with, the only negative is that you will likely have to wait to do your produce shopping after you get your Bountiful Basket for the week. Then you can fill any produce holes and don't risk duplication.

I highly recommend it if Bountiful Baskets are in your area.