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6 Ways to Cut Your Food Waste

Sharon Palmer

Whether it’s talking about how many gallons of water it takes to produce a hamburger (660 gallons, according to National Geographic) or what the carbon footprint is for lamb (the most intensive food, at 39.3 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents per the Environmental Working Group), it seems like everyone’s interested in greening their plates. After all, how you eat can make a huge impact on the earth—it may even be the most direct way that you, as an individual, can make a difference. And one of the best strategies for cutting your environmental footprint is to cut your food waste.

Food waste is an enormous problem in this country—we waste enough food to fill the entire Rose Bowl in Pasadena every single day. I’m from the Pasadena area, so I know how big the Rose Bowl is, but if you can’t wrap your mind around that estimate, consider this: More than 40% of the food produced for human consumption in the U.S. will never be eaten. Food waste is on the rise; it has increased by about 50% since 1974. We are wasting more than 1,400 calories per person per day—that’s almost enough to feed an entire person!

Sadly, along with every pound of food tossed out comes wasted resources, as well as increased burdens on the planet. Wasted food squanders 300 million barrels of oil per year (4% of the total), along with water, soil, and inputs (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer) to grow the food. It also fills up landfills (about 18% is related to food waste) and produces methane as it decomposes. Even worse, we waste so much food in the face of so much hunger. The annual food waste—just at the retail and consumer level—in high-income countries equals the entire annual food production in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Food waste occurs on every level of the food chain—at the farm, manufacturing, supermarkets, restaurants, and home kitchens. But you can do your best to start a zero food waste policy in your own home, with these 6 ways to cut your food waste.

6 Ways to Cut Your Food Waste

1. Value Your Food. Why has food waste skyrocketed? Because food is so cheap; it is at 10% of our total household expenditures, which is very low compared to many countries. Because it’s cheap, we don’t think twice about throwing it out. So, change your dynamic and honor where your food comes from, realizing that someone worked hard to get that food to your plate. This is especially true for animal food, as an animal’s life was forfeited for your plate. Don’t let it go to waste.

Meal Prep: Mediterranean White Bean and Sorghum Salad

2. Cut Your Portion Size. One of the main reasons we waste food is because our portion sizes have blossomed to the point that we can’t (and shouldn’t) eat the whole thing—this happens at restaurants, cafeterias, schools, and hospitals. Try to order small plates, a cup of soup rather than a bowl, or split something with your dining partner. At the very least, pack a doggy bag to take home.

3. Lose the “Perfection” Principle. We have now grown accustomed to foods that are so pristinely perfect—that if it has the tiniest imperfection we won’t purchase them. Do we really think that every apple grows from the tree without a blemish, or that every tomato comes from the vine without a scar? If you try growing your own food, you’ll see just how hard this is to do, and why so much food is wasted before it even gets to the supermarket or restaurant. Interestingly, research shows that imperfect produce—with scabs or scars on the surface—may have even higher antioxidant levels because the plant had to mount a defense. Don’t stop there; remember to use the whole plant—root, stem, leaf, and flower—as much as possible.

Baked Mediterranean Lasagna

4. Plan Your Meals. Creating a weekly menu and shopping list, and cooking just enough food that can be consumed without going bad can really help cut down food waste. When you get home from the supermarket, inventory your refrigerator and plan to use the ingredients that expire more quickly—lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, dairy products—before turning to those that have a longer expiration date, such as carrots, potatoes, and celery. Freeze items if you won’t be using them before they expire.

Making soup is a good way to use up leftovers.

5. Pack Those Leftovers. There’s no need to toss out perfectly good food! Just pack it up for lunch the next day. As a general rule of thumb, leftovers should be safe for about 3 days if refrigerated properly. Refreeze items, such as beans, stew, and casserole into small containers for an easy meal later on. Or start a “Buffet Thursday” night—one night a week to clean out the frig, reheat leftovers, and use up items, such as cottage cheese, yogurt, sandwich fillings, and lettuce that are about to expire.

6. As a Last Resort, Compost. If food has absolutely no possibility for consumption, then at the very least compost it. By composting food, you save it from the landfill, and put those nutrients to good use. Decomposing food makes a wonderfully rich, natural method of nourishing your soil. Composting can be as simple as collecting refuse in a black trash bag, or you can purchase a compost bin to keep things neater.

For other tips on how to cut food waste, check out:

Food Waste, a Serious Problem for the 21st Century

 

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