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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Every American household of four in the US tosses away over $1,800 worth of food each year. With Earth Day and Stop Food Waste Day just behind us, focusing on food waste is important. Not only are we wasting money but you are using up valuable land, animal feed, water and the energy it took to bring that food from the farm to your table. Throwing food in the trash is a colossal waste of important nutrients, money and resources.
When most people hear about the enormous amount of food waste that happens — nearly 400 pounds per person per year equaling 52 million tons of food – their first reaction is “not me, I don’t waste that much food.” Oh, but you do. Think about it. How many times have you dumped milk down the drain because it has passed its sell-by date? How often do you actually eat those leftovers you brought home after eating out? How often does your child throw out part of his school lunch? And, what about all those half-drunk water bottles that get dumped down the drain. Water is more precious than food in many areas of the world and you just dumped a pint of perfectly good water into the sewer.
Though farms, restaurants, grocery stores, and institutional foodservices all have some food waste, households contribute the most. Over 43% of all food wasted is done at home. It’s time we think about food as a valuable resource, like money, and make an effort to waste less of it.
Modern life has contributed to our cavalier attitude toward food. We live in a nation where food is abundant. We take it for granted. We can get almost any food any time of the year. Food is relatively cheap, taking up less than 10% of our household income. Most of us have a supermarket, and maybe more than one, just around the corner. We have kitchens with stoves and refrigerators to prepare and store food. We are very lucky, so we take food for granted. The apples have been around awhile – toss them. Leftovers didn’t get eaten in a day or two – toss them. And, so it goes.
We need to be more responsible with this precious commodity and use it responsibly.
Make a grocery list. You are more likely to buy what you need and make less spontaneous purchases.
Shop your fridge and pantry first before going shopping. What do you have on hand that could be the basis of a future meal? Already have 4 boxes of pasta on the shelf, no need to buy more even if they are on sale. Will you use them all up that quickly?
Every few months do a pantry or freezer inventory. Bring older items to the front so they get used.
Try not to overbuy. When you do, consider donating extras to a local food pantry.
Beware of club store portions. Though buying 6 jars of spaghetti sauce at one time or 10 pounds of rice may seem like a deal, do you really need all that and will it actually be eaten? Consider sharing with a neighbor or just pass on these large amounts.
BOGOs can be wasteful. Many supermarkets use the buy-one-get-one tactic to entice shoppers to their store. Will you really eat two boxes of strawberries or two bags of potatoes before they have spoiled? Consider what you really need.
Make the amount your family will eat to minimize leftovers that may be wasted. When you have leftovers consider how they could be repurposed into another meal.
Be a good example for your children, use food wisely. You will not only save money and generate less garbage but you will be kind to the planet that feeds you.
For more information on planet-friendly eating take look at one of my recent books – The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, a guide to planet-friendly eating.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.