Nearly half of all food waste in the U.S. happens in our homes. By planning better, storing smarter, and using food wisely, we can all help reduce food waste.
At the Center for Science in the Public Interest (Nutrition Action’s publisher), our advocacy work has focused broadly on diet and health. With the climate crisis looming, it would be short-sighted to not also consider the impact of food on our planet.
Our food system churns out enough to provide every man, woman, and child with 3,800 calories a day. But only 2,550 of those calories get eaten. With 70 percent of adults and 35 percent of children overweight or obese, we’d be better off eating even less. Even so, those 1,250 wasted calories lead to greenhouse gas emissions, thrown-away resources, and higher prices. What can we do?
“The government needs to compel the whole industry to prevent food waste rather than pushing the problem onto consumers,” says Jennifer Molidor of the Center for Biological Diversity.
But you can still do your bit.
“If there were a cash register on top of the garbage can that said, ‘Cha-ching! You threw away $32.73 of food over the past week,’ that might provide motivation to toss less,” says Ohio State’s Brian Roe. Here’s what may help.
Food packages often list a “sell by,” “best by,” “enjoy by,” or “expiration” date. But if you don’t “enjoy by” that date, does it mean you’ll get “sick after”?
Do you throw out milk the day it hits its expiration date? Or assume it’s unsafe to refreeze thawed meat? And when was the last time you sanitized your sponge? Here are 10 food safety myths that may surprise you.
