Good Food in a Box

I’m one of those people who’s constantly proclaiming: “I should eat more fruits and vegetables.” So when I saw some of my co-workers bring in piles of apples and pears, creating a makeshift fruit bowl on their desk, I got inspired. They made it even easier by telling me that their produce pusher was actually the Good Food Box program run by FoodShare Toronto. I’m now a proud participant and pictured above is my first bounty, the contents of a Small Good Food Box, a great deal for $13.

I obviously still have to supplement this with other produce, so it’s not like it saves me a trip to the grocery store. But I’m absolutely 100% convinced this is way more than what $13 would get me at Longo’s or Loblaws. Now, only two boxes in, I’m definitely eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, trying new recipes with the items I wouldn’t normally purchase and finding all sorts of creative ways to cook up apples and pears (I’m allergic when they’re fresh, so during the first week I whipped up some homemade applesauce).

The process of getting my food box was as simple as calling their main number 416-363-6441 x234 to ask about my nearest neighbourhood drop-off (3 blocks away), placing my order, dropping off the payment then picking it up on the designated day. Boxes range from $13 to $34 depending on size and organic contents and because of the low price, there’s no substitutions.

In addition to how eating more fresh food benefits me personally, I’m also really digging the idea that FoodShare Toronto isn’t some ‘hoighty-toighty’ all-organic company targetting only the upper middle class. They’re actually a non-profit community organization that believes access to good, healthy food is a basic human right. The Good Food Box distributes to all different types of neighbourhoods, regardless of income, and I really appreciate that the $13 small box feels like an affordable option.

Here’s a run-down of exactly what I received in the Small Box (week of Oct 18, 2011):
1 Head Red Leaf Lettuce
2 Plum Tomatoes
1 Bunch Bananas
1 Bag Carrots
1 Head Cauliflower
1 English Cucumber
1 Half Bag Apples
1 Half Bag Pears
1 Green Pepper
2 Jumbo Sweet Potatos
4 Oranges

Some neighbourhood drop-off spots operate on a weekly basis, but the one closest to me is only bi-weekly, which actually works out better. The lovely woman I order from usually has a stack of boxes waiting to be picked up when I arrive, and I simply transfer my box’s contents into two reusable bags to carry home. The contents rotate based on what’s in season and priced reasonably at the time, and they chose Ontario-grown produce whenever possible and support local farmers. You can find out more about the program and their different box sizes and pricing on their website.

For my second box, I decided to try out the Small Organic Box ($24) and was pleased to see a variety of different items.

Small Organic Box (week of Nov 1, 2011):
1 lb Organic Apples
1 Bunch Organic Bananas
1 Bunch Organic Broccoli
1 Organic Golden Rod Chard
1 Organic Red Leaf Lettuce
8 oz Organic Mushrooms
2 Organic Shallots
4 Organic Bosc Pears
1 Organic Butternut Squash
1 Organic Hot House Tomato
3 Organic Turnips
2 lb Organic Potatoes

Awhile ago I tried the organic delivery service Wanigan, but I have to say for price, quantity and the feeling of supporting a great community organization, FoodShare’s got them beat by a mile. I’ve decided I’ll be alternating my bi-weekly orders between the small regular and small organic box (yep, you can switch which version of the box you want whenever you’d like). Now all I’ve got to do is find a great recipe for turnips…