STOP WASTING FOOD: Why your scraps are costing more than you think

If anyone knows me, they know that one of my biggest pet peeves is to see any type of food go to waste. Whether it's an extra serving on your plate you never finished, or left overs sitting in your fridge- later to be thrown away. I hate seeing food and nourishment being unconsciously slung off a plate and into the garbage. All the while millions are dying every year due to hunger and starvation, and the numbers are only increasing. 

At some point in my life it was definitely instilled that you are to eat (and finish) what was on your plate. Maybe it was because my parents had it tough for a while, and were barely scraping by. I can remember my parents leaving me to sit at the dinner table alone, until I finished every last bit of unflavored steamed broccoli on my plate. And my dad, who fed us kids spaghetti so many times I will never eat those noodles again, even if it was smothered in gold or gravy. Or maybe it is because growing up around urban area's I saw homeless people on the streets. Even living in my little mountain town I would see on numerous occasions a day, people starving and begging. I remember a time not to long ago where I have literally given food off my own plate in the middle of lunch with a friend, to a women who walked nearly 90 miles, was hit by a car, and no one would help her. She was upset but could care less that someone had done this to her, wasn't concerned with money to get a bus ride back to her home, all she kept repeating was "I'm just so hungry ".

These images are forever ingrained in my mind, and for good reason. I immediately feel guilt when my eyes are bigger than my stomach, or food goes bad in my fridge or I'm forced to throw food away for one reason or another. Majority of us here in America have never had to go a day without eating. Let alone missing a meal. We have no idea what it means to actually be hungry.

THE ISSUE

According to the World Hunger Organization, today 795 million people are starving to death. Even though Global food production is up 1 1/2 times more of the amount of food needed to feed all the people living on this planet. While this disparity is caused by a few different reasons I will get into at another time, food waste is at large one of the major players that is causing economical and harmful environmental impacts. Food waste happens when perfectly edible products or produce are thrown away irresponsibly. We load up our plates with over consumptive eyes that are to big for our stomachs. Later to dump whatever is left of the meal right in the garbage. I see it all. the. time. Or, just as terrible the amount of people (even my own friends) who say "they hate leftovers". How on earth do you hate left overs? If it weren't for left overs I would have never made it through college or even life! A meal from an already delicious meal that I didn't have to think about? Yes please! However, when I asked those who never take their left overs home with them when eating out, their response was " I hate reheating food once it's already been cooked" or "I can't eat the same thing two days in a row". I was more than outraged! Doesn't anyone know that in most parts of the world people eat the same thing every day or every meal for that matter simply because that is what is available. Have they not seen the homeless on the streets? Maybe if we actually knew what it was like to go hungry, or knew how much food we wasting, or in fact how much money we were wasting we would change our habits.

Above is a photo of about 100 pounds of food that normally would have been thrown in the trash. Thanks to theFOOD RECOVERY NETWORK, we helped save this food from landfills and donate to local homeless shelters in Flagstaff, Az

THE FACTS

An alarming rate of food is wasted every year. Currently, average Americans throw away 40% of all food purchased for consumption. Roughly that accumulates to 133 billion pounds of food annually. By 2050, the earth's population is expected to reach 9 billion people. By then, food production must be increased by 70 percent to meet the demand. 

Think about how much money you spend on groceries or eating out in a week and cut that price in half. That's roughly about how much money your throwing right down the drain. Puts it into perspective right? The problem is, throwing perfectly good food away isn't just unfair to those who go hungry, but it wreaks havoc on the planet.

In order to grow, produce, package and ship food, immense amounts of energy and non-renewable resources are required in order for food to even reach our plates. In just 20 years to come, the United Nations estimates that the earth's population will need at least 50% more food, 45 % more energy and 30 % more water in order to provide food for the planet. Another effect that food waste is having on the environment, is the amount of green house gases released into the atmosphere. Both from production and improper discarding. Once your scraps are disposed of into your trash, it is then sent to landfills with every other persons waste. Here it is left forever to sit and rot slowly. The slow decomposing that happens when food scraps are mixed with other chemical materials like plastic, or aluminum and other household goods is not a natural process. The combinations of decomposing materials creates a mixture of toxic chemicals that are released into the atmosphere and largely contribute to rising green house gas emissions. Further inhibiting the harmful warming effects of climate change. Which is already making it more difficult to produce food in many areas of the world.

STOP WASTING FOOD

The good news is that you can help slow down this environmental process and save your bills. It just requires a little more mindfulness and care when your done eating. Below are a few tips I like to rotate between If I end up having extra food after a meal.

1. Reuse. Don't feel like eating the same meal over again? Get creative! I like to add some fresh ingredients to my left overs and recreate something different and new. It's easy and resourceful.

2. Give to someone in need. This one takes courage friends but I guarantee you'll feel so good about your deed. When eating out, I often take food to-go and more often than not, I find someone on my walk home that needs the meal more than I do.

3. Take smaller portions. Are you the type that never eats all of your meal? Think about that ahead of time, take smaller portions if you can control your servings at home. Or suggest sharing a meal with a friend if your going out to eat.

4. Compost. This is a great and natural way to discard food scraps and use your waste for something useful. Like soil that you can use in your own garden at home or even sell to fellow gardeners looking for nutrient rich soil for their garden beds. Click on the link to learn how you can do this at your home.