{"id":39398,"date":"2015-08-23T09:15:58","date_gmt":"2015-08-23T13:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=39398"},"modified":"2021-05-13T06:26:17","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T10:26:17","slug":"food-waste-earth-day-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/food-waste-earth-day-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"You Could Save $43 Monthly by Cutting Food Waste"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"You
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is your refrigerator crisper a graveyard of spoiled produce and expired goods? Those squandered products add up \u2014 and fast. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the average American family throws out up to $43 worth of food<\/a> each month. That\u2019s approximately 20 pounds of food per family, which results in roughly $2,000 worth of wasted food per year for a family of four.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re more concerned with whether your apples are organic<\/a> than using your kale before it wilts, you\u2019re certainly not alone. The issue of food waste has historically gotten less attention than other aspects of the food systems, says JoAnne Berkenkamp, senior advocate for the Food and Agriculture Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. \u201cFortunately, as eaters have become more concerned about where their food comes from and how it is produced, I see them becoming more open to questions about what happens when we throw food out.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Eat Healthy for Less Than $4 a Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Food waste has become a hot topic on social media<\/a> and many food industry and government leaders are taking it upon themselves to address the issue, Berkenkamp says. Of note: MSNBC has a documentary airing on April 22 called \u201cJust Eat It: A Food Waste Story<\/a>.\u201d And prominent chef Dan Barber recently transformed his award-winning NYC restaurant Blue Hill into \u201cWastEd<\/a>,\u201d a one-month pop-up shop serving dishes made from typically discarded foods, like cucumber butts and vegetable pulp left after juicing. Currently, a whopping 40 percent of the food that\u2019s produced is wasted in the U.S., says Berkenkamp.<\/p>\n

Food Waste: A Costly Problem<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What happens when we toss that uneaten grub to the curb, anyway? First of all, lots of resources \u2014 such as the water, energy, chemicals and resulting pollution that go into food production and transportation \u2014 are going into food that never gets eaten. \u201cThe wasted food is a major source of carbon emissions,\u201d says Dawn Undurraga, M.S., R.D., nutritionist at the Environmental Working Group. The discarded edibles decompose in landfills and emit methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Undurraga estimates that reducing food waste could save 25 percent of all freshwater used in the U.S.<\/p>\n

“Up to 20 percent of produce is wasted because of cosmetic reasons.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Plus, Berkenkamp points out that using food more efficiently will be crucial for feeding the world as the global population increases in the coming decades. Projections suggest the Earth will have nine billion inhabitants by 2050. (The current global population is roughly 7.2 billion<\/a>.) \u201cHere in the U.S., reducing food losses by just 15 percent would be enough food to feed more than 25 million Americans every year,\u201d she says. \u201cWe need to find innovative ways to feed people without putting too much strain on our land, water and soil.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 40 percent of food waste occurring in American homes, consumers are a big part of the problem. But luckily, they\u2019re also a big part of the solution, Berkenkamp and Undurraga say. With savvy shopping skills and strategies for using up scraps, you can minimize your own food waste and save a few bucks in the process.<\/p>\n

\"You
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Use It, Don\u2019t Lose It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Luckily, cutting down on food waste doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll have to scarf down a salad every time you see some vegetables on the verge of spoiling. \u201cSimple steps can make a big difference,\u201d says Berkenkamp. Where to start? These seven tips will help put you in charge of your waste (and wallet!).<\/p>\n

1. Make your shopping basket realistic.
\n<\/strong>\u201cThe easiest way to cut down is to only buy as much as you can eat,\u201d says Undurraga. A good strategy is to take 10 minutes to make a list of the meals you\u2019ll eat before you head to the store. If you know you have events or social activities after work, resist the urge to buy perishable items in bulk if you won\u2019t be able to use them up before they go bad.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 20 Gadgets to Make Healthy Cooking Easy<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Learn label lingo.
\n<\/strong>You might be surprised to learn that \u201cuse by\u201d and \u201csell by\u201d dates are not federally regulated, meaning they don\u2019t necessarily indicate safety or freshness. Undurraga recommends smelling products before tossing them, especially if only the \u201csell by\u201d date has passed; that date is meant for the retailer, not the consumer. Plus, studies show that lots of foods can be consumed past their expiration date. For specific product information on shelf life and \u201cwhen-to-toss\u201d tips, head to StillTasty.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Write an inventory.
\n<\/strong>Push aside the wedding invitations or school report cards decorating your fridge to make room for a whiteboard that keeps track of what\u2019s inside. This will help you remember those farmers\u2019 market strawberries before they stink up your top shelf. Undurraga says she ranks her produce to keep track of what needs to be eaten first.<\/p>\n

4. Reuse those leftovers.
\n<\/strong>Constantly tossing last week\u2019s linguini? According to the NRDC<\/a>, one-third of all household waste is caused by Americans cooking or serving too much food. By putting any uneaten meals front and center in your fridge, you\u2019ll be more likely to see and remember to use them, says Undurraga. So stop hiding those takeout boxes in the back<\/a>! They could be tomorrow\u2019s lunch.<\/p>\n

5. Freeze, please.
\n<\/strong>When using all your produce before it goes bad just isn\u2019t possible, Undurraga suggests preserving fruits and vegetables in the freezer<\/a> as a last resort. Putting leftover soups and stews in the freezer is also a great way to keep them for later if you cooked in bulk and your taste buds are getting bored.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 12 DIY Kitchen Projects to Clean Up Your Eating Habits<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Give ugly produce some love.
\n<\/strong>Picture-perfect fruits and vegetables may look good on Instagram<\/a>, but their not-so-shapely peers will taste just as good. (And will be just as nutritious!) EndFoodWaste.org<\/a> estimates that up to 20 percent of produce is wasted because of cosmetic reasons. Lots of disfigured produce gets tossed before it even makes it to most supermarkets and grocery stores, so show your support for the uglies by shopping at local farmers markets. Even better: Be an ugly activist by tagging your quirky food photos #loveuglyfood<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7. Embrace the empty fridge.
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re depressed every time you\u2019ve got barren fridge shelves staring back at you, don\u2019t be. In fact, it\u2019s a sign that you\u2019re being efficient and eating everything you buy. \u201cA well-managed fridge is an empty fridge,\u201d says Undurraga. \u201cMeal planning will definitely help you stop collecting too much.\u201d Plus, it adds up to money in the bank, too.<\/p>\n

How do you prevent food waste? Share your tips in the comments below.<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally posted April 2015. Updated August 2015. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You could be saving thousands of dollars each year by cutting down on wasted food. Read on to learn how, and why food waste is costly in more ways than one. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":39401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[51,71,382,400],"class_list":["post-39398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1health-care","tag-tax2food-policy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39398\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}