Wasting Food
Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, has me thinking about what I can do to help the planet. When I found out that Americans waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl Stadium every day, it really struck a nerve.
I hate wasting food. It’s expensive, it’s no good for the environment, and it’s just wrong, given the number of people who don’t have enough to eat. That doesn’t stop me from pitching more food than I would like, however. I don’t always remember to use up fresh fruits and vegetables, and I may avoid the leftover Chinese food in favor of a fresh sandwich for lunch.
Here’s another startling statistic: 40 percent of all the food produced for consumption in this country will never be eaten. Given that it takes energy and water to produce food, wasting it is really bad for the planet. In addition, wasted food rots in landfills, producing methane, which contributes to global warming.
Earth Day always reminds me that conserving food is good for all of us, and I have to say, I am getting better at using the food that I buy. The high cost of food has, in part, spurred me into action. Plus, I want to set a good example for my three kids.
Here are some of my food conservation tricks:
- Organize your refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets. When you know what you have on hand, you can better plan meals and snacks and you don’t keep buying the same thing over and over (guilty!). Keep your fridge at or below 40˚F and your freezer at or below 0˚ F to avoid food going bad.
- Love your leftovers. When I roast a whole chicken, I make soup from the leftovers. Depending on what I have on hand, I add leftover canned beans, pasta, or potatoes. I whip up a simple stew from a dinner of leftover pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes (they thicken the stew), and green beans by combining them sautéed onions and carrots, and beef broth. Last week, I toasted an excess of dry, but perfectly edible, whole-wheat tortillas. We broke them into chips and had them with hummus.
- Rely on convenience foods. Frozen vegetables and fruits are wonderful because you take only what you need and save the rest for later, so nothing goes to waste. Ditto for certain packaged foods like Mom’s Best Naturals cereals.
- Put overripe fruit to good use. Make fruit smoothies with strawberries and peaches. Serve up a pear or apple crisp from fruit that’s just about to go bad. Freeze overripe bananas in their peels and make banana bread with them later.
Happy Earth Month!
Liz Ward