Be Food Smart!

Recently, I saw a television commercial that led me to a really great website on food waste, and I want to share it here. Food waste is an important topic that fits in to my mission of sharing knowledge on conservation and sustainability topics. 40% of our food is wasted each year, making never eaten food the top contributor to landfills in the U.S. While decomposing in the landfills, food breaks down and releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Wasted food also represents the losses of the water and energy used to produce it, the fertilizer, the transportation and retail costs, plus the cost to the consumer.

Now that the problem is recognized though, we can do something about it. The Ad Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council have teamed up on a campaign to raise awareness on the impacts of wasted food. Their website has great tips on food storage, interesting recipes for using food scraps, and the really cool “Guest-imator” for planning how much food you need for your next party. Please explore Savethefood.com and share with your friends! It's a great cause!

Here's a preview of a few tips from the site:

• Shopping Wisely. Plan meals, use shopping lists, buy from bulk bins, and avoid impulse buys. • Buying Funny Fruit. Many fruits and vegetables are thrown out because their size, shape, or color are not "right.” • Learning When Food Goes Bad. Most food can be safely consumed well after their package dates: "Sell-by" and "use-by" dates are not federally regulated and do not indicate safety, except on certain baby foods. Rather, they are manufacturer suggestions for peak quality. • Mining Their Fridge. There are many online resources that help consumers get creative with recipes to use up anything that might go bad soon. • Using Their Freezer. Frozen foods remain safe significantly longer. Freeze fresh produce and leftovers if you won’t have the chance to eat them before they go bad. • Requesting Smaller Portions. Restaurants will often provide half-portions upon request at reduced prices. • Eating Leftovers. Ask your restaurant to pack up your extras so you can eat them later. Freeze them if you don't want to eat immediately. Only about half of Americans take leftovers home from restaurants. • Donating. Non-perishable and unspoiled perishable food can be donated to local food banks, soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters.