The Grocery Store Dilemma

I went to the grocery store after work the other day. Among other things, we needed some peanut butter.

For the last several months, we have been using our Vitamix to make homemade peanut butter from Organic roasted peanuts. But, it was broken broken. I broke it. Vitamix was in the process of fixing it under warranty, but for the time being we were out a Vitamix, so we needed peanut butter from the store.

There I was, surveying the peanut butter at our local Kroger. Our Kroger sells what seems like 50 different varieties in all sorts of sizes. "Natural" blends. Traditional Peter Pan. Organic no-stir. Crunchy.

I had already decided that I wanted to go with Organic, so I focused my attention there.

Kroger sells a big 32oz jar of Organic no-stir peanut butter for $8. It was tempting because I was comparing it to the Santa Cruz 16oz peanut butter that needed to be stirred and was selling for $5 a jar. There were no in between options that day.

I thought about the no-stir and how convenient that is. I knew that I wanted a no-stir, but after learning about what Palm Oil plantations do to the rainforest, I spent a long time staring at the jar.

I was torn. I liked the idea of the no-stir, the feature endowed by the palm oil, but knew that deep down it wasn't ideal.

The Kroger version was on sale for much less on a per-ounce basis. I liked that a lot.

I thought to myself, "What do I do?" I read the ingredients lists, already knowing what each would say. No new information. I picked up the big jar, put it back. I picked up the small jar, put it back. Picked up the big jar, turned it around in my hands examining the entire label. Put it back. I picked up the small jar, put it back.

10 minutes later...

I picked up the big jar, turned it around in my hands. Put it back. I picked up the small jar, read the label, put it back.

I liked the idea of only one container vs two for the same amount of peanut butter, because that is fewer containers, but the big container was plastic. The Santa Cruz was in a glass jar (easier to recycle if your city accepts them and no worry of the plastic additives leaking into the peanut butter), but I would have to buy 2 jars for the same amount of peanut butter.

My thoughts were reminding me of Ferris Bueller's buddy Cameron Frye who has to talk himself into leaving the house, "I'll go. I'll go. I'll go..."

I kept telling myself, "Just get the Santa Cruz. It is the right thing to do. They are glass jars. Just get the Santa Cruz. It doesn't have palm oil. Just get the Santa Cruz."

...

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Don't even get me started about the green pepper dilemma in the produce section...

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10