Save It, Don't Waste It!!

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Save It, Don’t Waste It!!

Food waste has become a major issue across our country. Food waste can be due to many reasons including: spoilage which can occur at every stage of production, problems during drying, milling, transporting, or processing that expose food to damage by insects or rodents, at the retail level, due to equipment malfunction which can cause a major issue if cold storage equipment breaks, if products are over-ordered, disposal of blemished produce can result in food loss and as consumers, we also contribute to food waste because we buy and cook way more than we need and dispose of the extras after multiple days.

In the United States, nearly 50% of our food supply is wasted! The U.S. has plenty of food to feed everyone living here, but our abundance of food is also followed by a tremendous amount of waste. Over 72 billion pounds of perfectly good food ends up in the landfills or in incinerators every year! After researchers began looking at landfills, they found that approximately 21% of the volume in landfills is made up of wasted food. Organizations and agencies are starting to advocate for the increased need for food rescue. However, many Americans do not have any idea that this amount of food is being wasted! If more people join the force in rescuing the perfectly edible whole food, more families will be fed specifically with nutritious, whole foods and we would take a huge leap in protecting our planet and conserving our resources. This food recovery hierarchy shows the preferred steps that we should be taking as a country to reduce waste and maximize our resources.





Here are some tips for reducing food waste in our homes:

  • Plan meals for the week before going to the grocery store and buy only the items needed for those meals.
  • Include quantities on shopping lists to avoid overbuying.
  • Take a peek in your refrigerator and cupboards to avoid buying food you already have.
  • Buy only what you need and will use. Remember buying in bulk only saves money if you are able to use the food before it spoils!
  • Go shopping in your refrigerator and pantry first! Cook or eat what you have at home before buying more.
  • Take the time to wash, dry, chop, slice, and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.

·    Freeze or preserve surplus fruits and vegetables

  • Store bananas, apples, and tomatoes by themselves, and store fruits and vegetables in different bins to prevent spoilage due to the natural gases produced through ripening
  • Hold off on washing berries until you want to eat them to prevent mold.







-MF


Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 18, 2020 at 11:49 AM

    Hi Molly! Great post. I always try to plan my meals for the week and make sure I only stick to my grocery list when shopping. So many individuals go shopping before they check their cabinets/refrigerators for products they need, which majorly contributes to food waste. In addition, I just recently learned to only wash your berries before consumption to reduce mold formation. Not many people know this, so thank you for sharing!

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