Los Angeles Banned Plastic Bags. What Are You Waiting For?

Los Angeles Banned Plastic Bags. What Are You Waiting For?

Los Angeles recently became the biggest city in the country to ban free plastic bags. If you go shopping in Los Angeles, you will soon need to be prepared with your own bags or buy a paper bag for $0.10. That’s great, and a step I expect more places to take in time. But why wait? You can decline plastic bags already and just bring your own.

I’m not suggesting the cheap bags so many stores sell for $1. They work for a time, but aren’t all that durable, and they’re plastic too. Better to find or make more durable bags.

The key here is building up the habit of carrying your bags. If you’re doing it without a ban to remind you, you have to motivate yourself. Find that perfect place to store your reusable bags so that they will come with you when you go shopping. This could be with your purse, on the doorknob, in the car, wherever works for you.

The simple truth is that plastic bags are most often a waste. Some people find a way to reuse the bags, but too many end up in the landfill or as litter. You don’t have to wait for someone else to demand that you stop being a part of the problem – you can choose that for yourself.

Fruit Skewers – Day 30 of 30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

Sometimes a great snack is all in the presentation. Fruit on a skewer can be more appealing than plain chopped fruit, even if you don’t add anything else to it.

Get some bamboo skewers and slice up some chunks of fruit. Think about what will go easily on the skewers – you don’t want to stab yourself with the skewers too often, and you don’t want it to be too hard for younger kids to get the fruit off.

Fruit Skewers - Day 30 of 30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

Kale Chips – Day 29 of 30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

Here’s a healthy alternative to potato chips, and many kids like them.

Ingredients

1 bunch kale
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove kale stems and keep the leaves. Wash and thoroughly dry kale. This is very important – damp kale won’t crisp well.

Toss the leaves with olive oil. Make sure all the leaves are coated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread leaves out on the paper in a single layer. Place in oven and cook for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Parmesan and other toppings may also work well.

Kale Chips - Day 29 of 30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

Fruit Tacos – Day 27 of 30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats

Cinnamon coated taco shells holding wonderful chopped fruit makes a really fun snack. You can also use cinnamon chips and just dip them in the fruit if that’s easier, but the taco shape is kind of fun, if potentially messy. You know how kids are.

Ingredients

2 apples
1 lb strawberries
2 kiwis
1 banana
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
1-2 tbsp brown sugar if needed for sweetness

flour tortillas (1 per person)
melted butter
cinnamon and sugar mix

Peel, core and dice each fruit as appropriate. I’m trusting here you know how to deal with each of these fruits. You want small pieces.

Mix all fruits, lime or lemon juice, and brown sugar in a bowl and refrigerate.

Take one flour tortilla per person, brush with melted butter and fold loosely in half to make a taco shell. Sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mix, inside and on top. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes.

Have fun with the fruit and switch it up. You don’t have to use the same fruits all the time. Use whatever’s in season and available in your area as much as possible.

Fruit Tacos - Day 27 of 30 Days of Healthy Homemade Summer Treats