I bet you never knew that by using sauce, you were creating an environmental danger.

I read this interesting article on how to save the planet by eating leftovers. Less waste, less pollution – you can guess how it goes.

So I wanted to offer a couple more ways that diet can help you save the planet.  First, stop eating meals with sauce.  Think about it.  As soon as you use sauce, you need a plate to hold the mess…er, I mean the sauce.  And you need forks and knives because sauce is, well, let’s just say it – sauce is messy.  If you ate the same meat and rice and veggies in a pita, in a fajita, on crackers or on bread, you could save the energy and water used to wash the dishes.

Imagine if just once a day, you could eat a meal with no fork, knife or plate.  That means 365 plates less to wash this year.  365 fewer forks to wash.  365 fewer knives to wash.

There are some added benefits, too.  For instance…

• Lower costs from running the hot water and the dishwasher less frequently.
• Less time spent washing dishes (Yay!!!).  Yes, if you hate washing dishes, this can make you twice as happy.
• Better health because, let’s face it, sauces rarely contain any real nutrition.  At best they are empty calories.
• And if you are prone to clumsiness, fewer stains on your nice clothing…which can save you money at the clothing stores, too.

And think of the personality benefits, too.  People will stop calling you saucy behind your back.  OK, I made that one up.

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There are downsides, especially if you love dishes that include a lot of sauce.  I never said that this was a black and white world.  Maybe you can use sauce just a little less frequently and you’ll be ahead in several ways (and still enjoy your Thai and Indian dishes).

So hold the sauce for the planet, for your wallet, for your health, for your good looks and out of pure laziness.