Cali: I am so happy to see you for lunch today uncle tony!

UT: It is so nice to get out and visit you! I have missed you kiddo.
Cali: (while stirring soup simmering on stove) I’ve missed you too
UT: What are you making for lunch today hun?
Cali: Some soup and something on the side, I haven't decided yet.
UT: It smells awfully good. What flavor is it?
Cali: It’s just chicken noodle soup!
UT: Oh that's my favorite! What are your options to go with it?
Cali: I was thinking either sandwiches or a nice salad would go well. What would you prefer?
UT: What about cucumber sandwiches?
Cali: Uh no, how about we stick to salad for today.
UT: (laughs) Okay do you want help cutting up vegetables?
Cali: No, I have a way easier way to make it especially since the soup is almost ready.
UT: Oh okay kiddo. Do you have one of those fancy veggie cutters or something?
Cali: Nope! It is even easier than that. (Opens bagged salad and begins pouring it into a bowl)
UT: Cali what are you doing over there? What is that noise?
Cali: Just making the salad! Sometimes the veggies get caught in the bag so it’s hard to get them
all out.
UT: What do you mean from a bag?
Cali: (Turns around and holds up empty bag) You know, the pre-packaged ones.
UT:(angrily) From a bag! Are you trying to kill us both?
Cali: (half laughing) What are you talking about uncle Tony it is just some vegetables in a bag.
It won’t kill you.
UT: You children. Always finding the easy ways out of things. You don’t even care about the
harm you cause. I should have known.
Cali: I don’t understand why this is such a big deal. Maybe I should have just made those
sandwiches.
UT: You should try making a real salad for once in your life. Maybe then you will understand
why this is unacceptable.
Cali: This is a real salad. It is vegetables and dressing in a bowl. Last time I checked, that is all a
salad is.
UT: You mean vegetables, dressing, and (loudly) CHEMICALS
Cali: what? I mean yeah they have to keep the the salad fresh but they are not harmful to you
UT: Well I saw on the news just this morning all of the things those preservatives can do to your
body. You have no idea what you’re messing with kid
Cali: Okay then. What can it do to me?
UT: It can cause allergies, hyperactivity, neurological problems and cancer! Do you want that?
Cali: No. However I do think you are looking at this too narrowly! Those side effects will only
happen if you eat bagged salad excessively. Like, that is all you eat, excessively.
UT: If those things can happen at all it is not safe to eat!
Cali: Any food eaten in excess is unsafe. Like you love your morning cup of coffee but drinking
too much caffeine can cause anxiety, insomnia, headaches and heart problems.
UT: Don’t bring coffee into this. We are talking about salad, not coffee.
Cali: It was an example with the same premise. Don’t push it away because it doesn’t support
your opinion.
UT: Well in our case those side effects can be avoided by simply buying fresh vegetables. It is
not that hard.
Cali: For some people this is the only way they can get veggies into their diet. Bagged vegetables
are better than no vegetables and it is cheaper and faster. Not everyone is a rich old retired man
like you.
UT: They could just buy the vegetables and then wash, cut, and mix them.
Cali: That is way more expensive and time consuming. Also any vegetable that you buy from the
store like that is going to contain some type of preservative.
UT: There is always the option for a farm stand or just planting your own garden. You young
people are always trying to avoid work these days.
Cali: We live in New York (pause) Have you seen the weather most of the time? Not to mention
there is hardly time to grow all those vegetables on top of working full time jobs or school. And
a farm stand isn’t a half bad idea but they aren't around all year and on top of that many times
they are out of the way.
UT: I still think that going out of the way a little bit is better than eating those. They simply do
not make good salads.
Cali: People use the vegetables in those salads for so much more than just salads. They make
sandwiches, pastas, and all kinds of other things. The spinach and lettuce bags are especially
good for that.
UT: I didn’t realize they were used for actual cooking.
Cali: They are. It is an easier way to buy and incorporate different kinds of vegetables into
recipes. Young people do cook uncle tony.
UT: I still feel like it's lazy not to use fresh vegetables but, I'm happy to hear you don’t cut all
corners when it comes to cooking.
Cali: Well I'm happy to hear we can agree on something. Do you only use fresh garden
vegetables all of the time
UT: Yes I do it is healthier and less wasteful. Do you know what all of that plastic does to our
planet?
Cali: I do. But when buying any vegetables they usually come wrapped in plastic or in a plastic
bag. When you buy multiple kinds of vegetables that is even more plastic.
UT: Well if people bought fresh like I do they wouldn't have to worry about the plastic.
Cali: You only buy completely fresh? All year round?
UT: Correct
Cali: How is that accessible to you?
UT: During summer I buy from farm stands and other gardens. During winter I buy from
greenhouses and aeroponics gardens.
Cali: isn't it incredibly expensive to do that?
UT: If people spent the extra money to eat well instead of buying unneeded things it wouldn’t be
a problem.
Cali: For a lot of people that isn't at the top of the priority list because rent, heat, and health bills
are more important.
UT: I suppose those are important but personal health is important also.
Cali: It also seems very difficult to buy that way. Why don’t you just use the grocery store?
UT: Even if it is more inconvenient it's still way healthier than that pre-made garbage. Those
salad bags are basically a pit of unnecessary calories. Don’t people care about their health
anymore?
Cali: The only reason they tend to be higher in calories is because they come with packets of
cheese, croutons, chicken, and dressing. These things can be easily left out. But they also add
other nutrients and flavor, making your food taste good isn't a crime.
UT: It tastes good without all that junk. This is why we are having a crisis here in America.
People no longer eat real healthy food. It’s all horrible for you.
Cali: Health is not dependent on eating the lowest amounts of food and calories possible. It is
important to eat healthy but it is also important to enjoy your food. As much as you push that
there is an obesity crisis there is also a crisis of disordered eating.
UT: So what. Skipping out on bagged salad is not the reason for that.
Cali: No, it's not. However, we should let people enjoy their food. I happen to enjoy eating these
salads but if you don’t want to you can just have the soup.
UT: Okay. I’ll just have some of that delicious chicken soup you made.

Works Cited
Lustig, Robert H., and Chelsea Conrad. “Are salads healthy? Here's what you should add

and avoid.” The Washington Post, 5 December 2022,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/12/05/best-salad-dressing-lettuce/.

Accessed 10 October 2023.

Rizzo, Natalie. “What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Salad Every Day.”

EatingWell, 27 March 2023, https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8035429/is-salad-good-

for-you/. Accessed 10 October 2023.

Sachdev, Poonam. “Best and Worst Salads for Your Health.” WebMD, 30 August 2023,

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-best-worst-salads. Accessed 10 October 2023.

Sidhu, Allison. “Prepackaged Salad Mixes: Are They Really Safe?” Foodal, 24

November 2015, https://foodal.com/knowledge/paleo/safety-of-prepackaged-salad-

mixes/. Accessed 10 October 2023.