Sustainable Smoothie (part 1)

I want to use a smoothie, to go through the sort of thinking when looking into the question about what sustainability is, what details are involved to call something green, in the sense of environmental, social and financial viability. This is not treated exhaustively. Just a little warm up. So lets dive into this, first with the bigger picture.

There is so much diverse and contradictory information out there in regards to what is a good diet. I am not planning to add to that. I am not a nutritionist or food scientist, or anything like that. Reading keeps me up to date what is the latest development or fad, on newer research results and on information from people who study this intensively. Basically I take what I read and hear and combine it with my own experience, common sense and anecdotal evidence from family and friends.

The proof is in the pudding, they say (wonder where that idiom comes from). There are obviously different levels of health I would say – from just fine, to good to radiant health. If I you are healthy, indicated by, for example, that you do not need to take medication, or visit doctors and can do all the things you want and need to do, including physical demanding activity, I would say, there is a good chance you are doing the right things, including what you eat and drink.

One of my favorite breakfasts is a smoothie. The whole breakfast is an eight ounce glass full of fresh, yummy, mixed up fruits. There are several things I like about it:

Easy to make and does not take long to make.
Very often in the morning I am not very hungry. So a “real” breakfast does not sound very appealing. So a smoothie fits that well, is nutritious and not sitting in my stomach.
From my understanding, it gives a lot of vitamins, enzymes, bioflavinoids, minerals, sugars and who knows what else.
Great taste.
Can use fresh fruits right out of our garden, from the farmers market, our local co-op or store.
Cleanup is quick.
Can mix in some additional goodies.
Makes me thrive on green energy till around lunchtime.

There are several aspects to consider to make this a green lifestyle choice. Thinking about this is in itself almost an exercise in designing a green product and can be easily applied to other situations and activities:

Is the fruit in season?
What quality are the fruits I am using?
Where do they come from?
Who is selling them?
How have they been packaged, stored and otherwise “treated”?
What is the most energy efficient way to make it?
What is the embodied energy?
What can I do with leftovers and remains?
What is the most environmental sound way of cleaning up?
Does making a smoothie cause any social, ecological or economic issues?
Is it healthy?
Can it be made for eternity into the future without taking away the ability for future generations to do the same?