The United States is known for many things, but one you may not be aware of or do not want to be aware of is that as a country, the U.S. wastes the most food. On average
, a citizen of the U.S. wastes around 43-52 pounds a year when compared to 2-5 pounds a year in sub-Sahara African and South/South East Asia (1). Forty-three to fifty-two pounds, we are each throwing away food that equals the size of a small child! With the ever-growing population, more food needs to be available to all, one way we can accomplish this is to reduce food waste. The following are five ways you can reduce your food waste or better utilize waste at home:
- Only purchase what you need, if you are buying in bulk choose frozen options or freeze or pickle the items yourself for longer shelf life.
- Plan meals ahead and create recipes that you know you can use again, paying attention to portion sizes. Left-overs are okay, as long as you know you will eat them. This one is time consuming, but it not only reduces food waste, it also reduces loss from your pocket.
- Donate excess foods to food pantries or soup kitchens, if you are shopping at the winter markets Cornucopia food pantry is in attendance, usually very close to the entrance of the market or adjacent to the Seacoast Eat Local tables.
- Purchase a Vejibag or other food saver for produce you feel always goes bad quickly in the refrigerator. They keep your produce fresh longer so you can use it with less waste. Seacoast Eat Local sells these bags at the winter markets and they come in a couple of different sizes.
- Start your own compost, or mini compost that you can either use as soil for your own garden or give to friends or neighbors for their gardens. This one does not reduce waste, but rather places it somewhere it can be recycled or re-used in a positive way.
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