Amongst the many issues I’m hoping to tackle in the gradual greening of my life, food is going to be the largest and most important. It’s the item (other than rent) that I spend the most money on, the most time with, and furthermore—it’s going into my body! So what better place to draw a line in the sand, and say, “No more crap!”

What I’m trying to do is eliminate foods that have unpronounceable or artificial ingredients, are heavily processed before they reach our kitchen, or in general are made from stuff that I wouldn’t normally stock in my pantry.

To start off with a new way of eating, it’s necessary to have a store of base ingredients with which to make good food. I wanted to purchase a large amount of food in bulk. And I mean serious bulk. 50 pounds of organic wheat flour, 40 pounds of organic pasta (yes, pasta is processed—but we’re not superheroes! We have to start somewhere), 5 gallons of olive oil, 25 pounds of organic quinoa, etc.

Advantages Of Bulk

Less dough. Buying in bulk can definitely save money. For example: one 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans at the store costs about $1. Bought in bulk, five pounds of dry garbanzo beans costs $10. However, one pound of dry garbanzo beans will yield roughly 3 pounds wet (which is how you buy them in the can), yielding a 50% discount. And that’s not including water weight!

Less trash. Purchasing in bulk rather than individual portions cuts way down on packaging. Rather than generating fifteen cans with those garbanzo beans, I’ve generated one large paper bag. Buying ten pounds of pasta at once yields a packaging savings of about one-tenth (plus there’s no little plastic window on the bulk pasta box).

Less crap. And finally, it helps me keep track of exactly what I’m putting in my body. Canned garbanzo beans also have (in addition to the beans) water, salt, citric acid, and disodium EDTA. Now, I’m not sure what disodium EDTA is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not something I regularly sprinkle on my food.

Bringing It On Home

We got in touch with a natural foods distributor, and placed the order. A few hundred bucks and a long haul up the stairs later, there I was with several hundred pounds of food trying to figure out what part of my home to co-opt into a bulk pantry.

Storage is something to consider. Large plastic totes seem to be the best option, as they are relatively airtight and will prevent spoilage. However, some items like dried beans, couscous, or quinoa do not need to be stored in an airtight container: because they are dry they will last years in a cardboard box or shopping bag (provided they don’t get wet).

You can more than likely place a bulk food order through your local co-op or health food store. Simply ask at the counter about when and how they place their orders, take a look at a catalog with them and make your order. They may want a commission on it, which is reasonable, but if you’re friendly or friends you could just get in on wholesale prices. (Note: larger chain-stores like Whole Foods or Wild Oats may be less likely to let you get in on an order.)

Having a large cache of base ingredients is an essential step in making one’s food supply greener. Moving closer to the source can save money, cut down on packaging, and give you a greater awareness of what it is that you are eating. Now all that’s left to do is to think up as many different ways of cooking 50 pounds of pinto beans as I can!