Have you heard about the new movement towards using "ugly" fruits and vegetables? At the Green Living Show, I saw this tantalizing table with odd-looking but strangely beautiful veggies. I spoke to a young female farmer who explained that they were misshapen veggies, there to encourage passersby to think about how we look at veggies and why we tend to require perfect aesthetics from our food. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, almost 40 per cent of vegetables and fruit worldwide will be wasted before they even reach our homes! Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the produce is not perfect looking enough to suit us.
As we take a second look at how we treat our less pretty fruits and veggies, along comes a company that believes that diversity and imperfections are not flaws but rather traits to be celebrated. Eden is a new, environmentally friendly company that makes fresh, cold-pressed juices from imperfectly shaped fruits and vegetables. Why imperfect fruits and vegetables? For one thing, despite their appearances, they provide the same health benefits as their more perfectly shaped counterparts.
Eden is also using their line of juices to bring attention to aspects of our culture that threaten diversity, conservation and overall health. Here are some of the issues they want to address:
Superficial Mindset
We are presented with daily images of flawless skin, perfect tans and crazy-fit bodies, but what about the features that make us unique. As more and more people think these digitally altered images reflect the norm, they strive to meet unrealistic standards.
Food Waste
In the U.S., close to 40 per cent of the food grown gets tossed rather than sold, often because it doesn’t meet cosmetic standards. Wasting food because it doesn’t look "right" ignores the more important issue - the health benefits.
Access to Clean, Healthy Food
While this food gets thrown away, millions of children go hungry each and every day. While nutritious food is available, it's ending up in landfill rather than in the hands of those who need it.
Overfed and Undernourished
More than 2 in 3 adults and 1 in 3 children and adolescents are overweight or obese, Fewer than 35 per cent of Americans are eating the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. While some people go hungry, many are overfed and undernourished.
Baby Steps to Eliminating Food Waste
While these problems can’t be solved overnight, Eden hopes to get one step closer with their line of fresh, cold-pressed juices. They’ll help limit the amount of food wasted in the U.S. by using produce that consumers and retailers usually throw away for cosmetic reasons. They’ll also make nutrient-rich food more accessible to those who struggle to get nutritious foods and those who want a simple way to improve their diets.
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While these problems can’t be solved overnight, Eden hopes to get one step closer with their line of fresh, cold-pressed juices. They’ll help limit the amount of food wasted in the U.S. by using produce that consumers and retailers usually throw away for cosmetic reasons. They’ll also make nutrient-rich food more accessible to those who struggle to get nutritious foods and those who want a simple way to improve their diets.
Help Fund Eden's Kickstarter Campaign & Get Great Perks!
Just in time for Earth Day, April 22nd, Eden has launched its Kickstarter campaign, with funds going toward increasing production efficiencies and making their juices available to more people.
You can help fund Eden's Kickstarter campaign by visiting drinkeden.com. Eden is offering fun Kickstarter perks ranging from Eden t-shirts to multi-day juice cleanses to monthly and even yearly juice subscriptions!
You can also visit and interact with Eden on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/drinkeden
Twitter: twitter.com/Drink_Eden
Instagram: instagram.com/drinkeden/
Would you be willing to use "ugly" fruits and veggies on your dinner table?
To celebrate the launch of their Kickstarter campaign, Eden is giving away three gift cards worth $150 each. Residents of the U.S. and Canada may enter using the rafflecopter below. (This giveaway is not administered by Woman in Real Life. Please see the rafflecopter widget for rules and details.) Good luck!
You can help fund Eden's Kickstarter campaign by visiting drinkeden.com. Eden is offering fun Kickstarter perks ranging from Eden t-shirts to multi-day juice cleanses to monthly and even yearly juice subscriptions!
You can also visit and interact with Eden on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/drinkeden
Twitter: twitter.com/Drink_Eden
Instagram: instagram.com/drinkeden/
Would you be willing to use "ugly" fruits and veggies on your dinner table?
Eden Giveaway! Enter to Win 1 of 3 $150 gift cards!
To celebrate the launch of their Kickstarter campaign, Eden is giving away three gift cards worth $150 each. Residents of the U.S. and Canada may enter using the rafflecopter below. (This giveaway is not administered by Woman in Real Life. Please see the rafflecopter widget for rules and details.) Good luck!
Isn't that funny? I have heard about studies regarding shoppers passing over oddly shaped produce-- it must be a product of having so many options (if we were truly hungry, would we care so much?)
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent point Taby!
DeleteI buy my fruits and vegetables based on when I need to eat them and what I need them for. Sketchy looking tomatoes are perfect for sauces and a bit of mold goes into the compost. Doesn't bother me one bit.
ReplyDeleteBesos, Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
I love your idea of tailoring your purchases to what you're going to be using them for! You are an earth-friendly gal! :)
Delete