U.S. Food Waste is High

Food waste is a real issue. Americans toss away almost 150,000 tons of food a day, about 30 percent of what the average person eats daily, according to researchers. Of the 22 food groups studied between 2007 and 2014, fruits, vegetables, and mixed fruit and vegetable dishes were wasted most (39 percent of total waste), followed by dairy (17 percent), and meat and mixed meat dishes (14 percent). Researchers also found that 30 million acres of land, over four trillion gallons of water, nearly two billion pounds of nitrogen fertilizer, and 780 million pounds of pesticides that went into producing that food was wasted as well. 

(PLOS ONE, April 2018)

Read the full study here.

Check out my tips to help reduce waste:

6 Ways to Cut Your Food Waste
Food Waste, a Serious Problem for the 21st Century

Image: Sharon Palmer, RDN