If powder turns into coffee cake after 30 seconds in the microwave, is it really food?

So, coming from an economically distressed area, I had never really thought about the food I was consuming. We did not have Whole Foods or any other store that could boast locally grown organic produce. In the right time of the year, we would buy produce from neighbors who had little stands set up in their front yards, but I never really considered the environmental impact of food until I came to college. I have given up bottled water and soda in any form. I do indulge in the occasional Powerade/Gatorade type beverage during a tough rugby game or something. But I try to drink nothing but filtered water. As far as food, I spend a lot of time in TDR. I do not usually understand the intricacies of what their policy toward environmentally friendly food, but I assume they are focused on cost effectiveness. It seems like they have more locally grown stuff this year though, and I try to eat a few items from the farm to fork section.

I would say that on my list of consumed food last week, I would say that the one that caused the most environmental harm was probably this instant coffee cake thing that my mom sent me. It was basically a little dish with powder and water that you mix in, stick in the microwave and voila!- you have a coffee cake! I really am not sure where something like that comes from. I mean, does it even contain anything aside from chemical compounds? Probably not. But, it was shipped from somewhere to somewhere else and then from my mom in Ohio to me. I cannot imagine that instant coffee cake could possibly be safe for the environment...or me, for that matter. I also realized that I eat a lot of grains. A LOT of grains. I have really cut back my meat consumption to the point where I only have it once a week or less. Now everything I eat seems to be centered around wheat and rice. I guess now I know why we grow so much of those two. Throw in some corn and we've got a party.