While fruits and vegetables are delicious and good for you , an important thing to remember is that they are also perishable . Perishable means that something is likely to decay or go bad in a short amount of time . While a select few , like potatoes , onions , and apples , can last longer in temperaturecontrolled storage , most fruits and vegetables must be eaten , used , or frozen within a few days of being purchased at the grocery store or farmers market .
Unfortunately , a lot of food DOES go bad before we eat it , and it is usually thrown away . Not only is that bad for the environment , but also for your parents ’ wallets because it is wasted money !
Did you know , in the United States alone , over 33 % of the food produced for us to eat is thrown away ? That ’ s about 219 pounds of food per American per year !
Food Waste Reducer
Here are a few ways you and your family can help reduce food waste :
• Help your parents put together their weekly grocery shopping list . What fruits and vegetables do you like to eat every day , like carrots and apples ? What items do you eat once or twice a week with a meal , like broccoli and green beans ?
• Store fruits and vegetables properly . Find out which ones need to be in the refrigerator or left on the counter , if they can be stored with other produce items , or need to be stored by themselves .
• Eat your leftovers ! Often , leftovers get forgotten in the back of the refrigerator , never to be seen again ( until they start smelling !). Designate one night a week as “ Leftover Night ” to help reduce the amount of leftovers that get thrown away .
• Ask about how your school can buy local food from Colorado farmers and ranchers .
• Set up a Share Table in your school cafeteria where students can place unopened , wrapped food and beverages or food items with a peel that they choose not to eat or drink for other students to consume .
• Start a compost bin in your classroom , house , or back yard ! Research how to make a compost bin , and start throwing things like food scraps , egg shells , coffee and coffee filters in there . The worms in the bin will chew up all the waste and turn it into rich compost , perfect for your garden or a friend ’ s garden .
Think of any other ways you can help reduce food waste and take the Food Waste Reducer Pledge below .
The Food Waste Reducer Pledge :
I , _________________________________________, promise to reduce the
( name )
amount of food I waste . The main way I am going to reduce food waste is by
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
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