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Food choices affect your health and the environment. Food loss occurs at every step in the food supply chain from production to consumption. Some examples are spoilage during storage and transport, or exposure to insects and rodents, bacteria or mold. Sorting out blemished or imperfect produce results in loss, as does consumers buying more than they need or can consume. Not only is edible food wasted, but all the energy, fertilizer and land use that went into to producing that food is wasted as well.
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Take stock of your pantry, refrigerator and freezer before going to the store to prevent overbuying.
Planning at least a few meals for each week is a great way to ensure you have healthy meals. It also prevents you from buying too much food because you feel like you need to be prepared for anything. Coordinate your meals so you aren’t using completely different ingredients for every recipe. For example, plan to eat broccoli as a side one night and in a casserole the next.
If you don’t think you will be able to eat your leftovers within three days, store them in the freezer and label them. Keep your freezer organized so food doesn’t get lost and then thrown out due to freezer burn.
One of the biggest reasons I hear people say they don’t eat fruits and vegetables is because “When I buy it, it ends up going bad, and I throw it out anyway.” Start by only buying what you can eat in a week. Store greens with a paper towel in a plastic container in the crisper drawer, tomatoes and bananas on the counter, potatoes and onions in a cool, dark place and fresh herbs in a glass of water. Have some frozen fruits and vegetables on hand in case you eat all your fresh produce before your next grocery day.
Even vegetable peels don’t have to go to waste. Backyard composting is a great way to keep food waste out of the landfill and provide nutrition for your garden. You also can find small composting containers that you can keep in your home.
Find ways to use rather than toss food that isn’t fresh. Vegetable scraps and peels can be made into soup stock. Apples or blueberries that are soft work perfectly cooked in oatmeal. You can even use stale bread to make croutons or an egg strata. Slightly wilted vegetables are great for soups or stir-fries. One of the best things about soup is you can make it out of pretty much anything.
Source: Romi Londre – Mayo Clinic Health System.
