Greening our Fellowship Time

By Karen Kreider Yoder

Dear Congregation,

We are trying to eliminate single-use plastic in our lives, and to that end, a snack team recently prepared the fellowship hour snack as free from single-use plastic as possible.  It was quite a challenge, as most of our food is packaged and delivered to us from a distance in single-use plastic, rather than local and seasonal.   

Here are a few ideas we gleaned from our experience:

Categories

Local, Seasonal, and Single-use Plastic Free Options

Section 1

Vegetables:

2 platters

Veggies from farmers market or sold loose in grocery store, put into cloth produce bags rather than plastic.

In fall: cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beets

In winter: broccoli, kale, radishes, spinach, beets, arugula, carrots, cauliflower

In spring: asparagus, kale, lettuce, carrots, cabbage,

In summer: avocados, carrots, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes

Protein:

Hummus

Homemade dips:  guacamole, hummus, salsa, other.

Section 2

Cheese

Cheese (32-40 oz)

Cheese bought in a large wheel, cut up

Crackers

This was the toughest category to find non-single-use plastic packaging or to make homemade. We welcome your ideas.

Section 3

Fruits:

2 platters

Fruits in season from farmers market or sold loose in grocery store, put into cloth produce bags rather than plastic.

Cut in bite-sized pieces and serve with toothpicks, if needed.

In fall: apples, berries, figs, grapes, kiwi, melons, pears, pomegranates, stone fruit 

In winter:  citrus fruit, kiwi, persimmons, pomegranates

In spring: cherries, strawberries, rhubarb

In summer: berries, cherries, figs, melons, stone fruit

Juice:

2 varieties

1 gallon total

Homemade lemonade — from tree to table! 

Homemade iced tea

Juice bought in cardboard or glass container.

Half and Half:

1 pint ½ and ½

1 pint nondairy

In cardboard or glass containers

Homemade almond “milk”

Section 4

Baked goods:

Equivalent of:

4 doz cookies

2 loaves sweet bread

Bread from bakery, in paper bag

Homemade bread, butter, and jam

Homemade fruit cobbler

Cookies from a bakery that packages in paper

Homemade cookies, brownies, bars, pies.

Section 5

Chips:

Chips

Crackers,

inc. gluten-free

Tortilla chips sold in a paper bag.

Popcorn

Salsa:

Lots of options in glass jars or homemade

Vegan baked goods:

Label as such

Lots of great recipes for  plastic-free options

Outside the box: Granola and yogurt bar (add fruit, nuts, dried fruit)

Ice cream sundae bar (add whipped cream, chocolate sauce, fruit, nuts)

Salad bar

Sandwich bar

Build your own taco

We welcome your ideas, and we encourage other snack teams to take on the single-use-plastic-free challenge!

For a greener future,      

Karen Kreider Yoder

Similar Posts

  • Sermon: Heaven and Hell?

    This sermon was given on “Throwback Sunday,” an annual Sunday where we take a look at problematic theological ideas with which many of us may have grown up. I’m giving this sermon from Walnut Creek, Ohio, where I am visiting my family. This is where I grew up. This was the place that taught me…

  • Sermon: Mother’s Day

    By Sheri Hostetler John 14:1-11 Full disclosure: I had already decided that I wanted to preach on John 14:1-11 and out of curiosity, I went back through previous sermon to see if I had ever preached on that passage before. Indeed I had, three years ago. I read through the sermon and uncharacteristically decided that…

  • World Without End

    Earth Day Sermon — Psalm 23 Our Scripture today is Bobby McFerrin’s version of “The 23rd Psalm.” This setting was written by Bobby in honor of his mother, so he refers to God as she. Dave Worm — who will be wish us for worship two weeks from now with Ann Speyer — is singing…

  • Sermon: Jesus as Lady Wisdom in Drag

    by Joanna Lawrence Shenk This is the second in an Eastertide mini-series called “Rewilding Jesus” that unearths fun and feral images/ideas about Jesus, the Jewish prophet deeply rooted in his place and his community and undomesticated by Empire. John 1:1-5 I confess that given all the bad Christian theology and biblical interpretation out there, I’ve…

  • Article: Singing for Justice

    By Pat Plude Come let us all unite to vote, reform 13! Let corporations pay their share, reform 13. There are too many loopholes, we lose our libraries and schools Come vote with us for justice sake, reform 13! Make it fair (hashtag!) Make it fair (hashtag!) Come let us all unite to vote to…

  • Sermon: The Soil of our Soul

    Fungal structures, or mycelium, running through healthy soil. Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23? I just listened to a great podcast about what makes for healthy soil. I’m fascinated by dirt in the same way that Sarah Nahar, who preached last Sunday, is fascinated by poop. And if you haven’t heard her brilliant sermon, then you really must! 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *