Between 161 to 335 billion pounds of food waste is produced annually in the US . This translates to somewhere between 492 and 1,032 pounds per person .
become easier to convince ourselves that we actually do need that American ’ s simply interpret them
vastly different meanings , but most
industrial sized jar of mayonnaise as “ toss by .” Moreover , the marked at Costco because it ’ s a better deal . dates are often determined by focus As we compute the ratio between groups to determine when a product tastes “ the best ,” and in other cost and quantity , our eyes grow much bigger than our stomachs . cases are just broad estimates .
On average , $ 1,866 worth of
Our cultural understanding food is thrown away by a household of four annually . In addition to bitrary date causes us to buy more
that food is “ bad ” after an often-ar-
over-buying , Americans also have a goods while depriving others of a tendency to throw out foods once possible source of nutrition . More they reach their marked expiration date . Unfortunately , there is insecure , a number that has surely
than 154 million Americans are food
little standardization or scientific grown throughout the pandemic . backing involved in the labeling of Despite having an over-abundance our foods . Label requirements differ from state to state , as does the gry . In 2010 , the amount of surplus
of food , people continue to go hun-
language used . “ Sell by ,” “ best by ,” food from retailers and consumers and “ best if used before ” all have totaled 141 trillion calories-- more than enough to feed our food insecure population . However , donating “ expired ” food is frowned upon ( and against the rules at many food pantries ) because it is perceived as inhumane and potentially dangerous , yet the threat of starvation and malnutrition for millions of Americans remains largely unaddressed .
In addition to the financial and social ramifications of food waste , we also face environmental consequences . It is well established that most modern farming practices are not sustainable and contribute to water pollution , monoculture , poor soil health , and carbon production . Although we have seen movements to promote sustainable farming in the past decades , we could easily reduce the negative effects of commercial farming simply by reducing our food waste .
During each stage of the food supply chain , the cumulative energy put into the product increases . Globally , these supply chains use 70 % of all freshwater withdrawals , occupy 40 % of ice-free land , and
Wait ! Before you toss it ...
You can find a lot of helpful information online about creating better habits around reducing household food waste , like planning your meals to avoid buying too much food that probably will go bad before you can eat it , or avoiding the lure of bulk discounts and items you don ’ t actually need , or learning how to store food properly to maximize longevity , or composting for your garden .
But we all know life can get a little crazy , especially in the refrigerator ! So when the celery isn ’ t quite as pretty as the day you bought it , and the tomatoes are a little wrinkly , and the baby spinach is on the ragged edge , our family resorts to a favorite food salvage secret : REFRIGERATOR SOUP ! Almost anything veggie is up for grabs and served up in a simple chicken or vegetable broth seasoned with garlic , red pepper flakes , basil , and maybe some lemon or pesto . Sometimes we add a can of cannellini beans or orzo ... it ’ s whatever is on hand to make it a hearty one dish wonder ! And the fridge looks a lot better for the effort , believe me ! ~ Jane Perini plenty I summer growing 2022 21