Got a question for Lulu Jeh? Send an email to [asklulu@theloop.hk]
Dear Lulu Jeh,
I try to live sustainably — I bring my own bags, refuse straws, and recycle. But I have a confession: I love avocado toast. I know those avocados fly thousands of miles, and my foodie friends say I’m a hypocrite. It feels like I have to choose between being a global citizen and enjoying my favorite little luxury. What’s the greener choice?
— Guilty Foodie in Sai Ying Pun
Dear Guilty Foodie,
My dear, the road to a greener planet is not built on perfect choices, but on better ones. Beating yourself up over avocado toast is like using a bamboo straw to bail out a sinking boat — your heart is in the right place, but the scale is off.
First, tell your friends to season their opinions with a pinch of kindness. Sustainability is a journey, not a purity test.
Now, let’s be practical. You cannot control airplane emissions, but you can control waste. That avocado’s biggest environmental cost isn’t just the flight — it’s if it ends up rotten in your kitchen bin. So, master the art of the ripe avocado. Buy one, use it fully, and compost the skin if you can. A perfectly consumed avocado is better than a wasted local tomato.
Your true power lies in balance and influence. Make your avocado toast a weekend treat, not a daily habit. During the week, champion a dazzling Hong Kong dish — get that bo lo bao with a thick slab of butter, for real. Then, use your foodie passion for good. Ask your favorite café where they source their avocados, and see what they have to say.
Don’t give up your small, consistent green habits for one big guilt trip. A global citizen isn’t perfect; they are aware, they adapt, and they enjoy life without spoiling it for others. So, eat your toast, cherish that bo lo bao, and keep fighting the good fight — one conscious choice at a time.
— Lulu Jeh