Food Waste Solutions to save $$$ and Earth

“LJ, I just threw away a bunch of rotten tomatoes. We are wasting money buying food that goes bad before we eat it. The other day I read a statistic that says up to 40% of food is wasted in our country. We are contributing to that statistic.” “Yes we could definitely pay attention to how much we’re buying, and how quickly we’re using it. But before we can come up with solutions let’s look at the facts.  According to the UN Environment report: https://www.unenvironment.org/regions/north-america/regional-initiatives/minimizing-food-waste.  On average the world’s farmers produces almost 20% more food than 30 years ago, yet there are nearly a billion people who continue to be food insecure and hungry. In the United States, an estimated 133 billion pounds of food goes to waste annually. That’s nearly 1/3 of the world’s food waste and is the single largest component in landfills where it emits methane gas, making them the third largest source of methane in the US according to the EPA.  Food production uses 50% of our land, 30% of all energy resources, and 80% of all freshwater (USDA, 2016).

A simple solution is move to a more plant-based diet. Another is to stop bulk shopping; it’s been shown to be a big producer of food waste.  We can also eat the food we buy before purchasing more.  For example, Annie, maybe you could eat the 3 types of cheese you have before buying more.”  “I agree. From now on let’s also use a shopping list and stick to it, and I promise not to buy multiple types of cheese anymore.” “Ok, we also need to practice proper food storage, because that is another source of wastage. I just read that potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers and onions should not be refrigerated but kept at room temperature to avoid premature ripening. Separating foods that produce ethylene gas (promotes ripening) such as bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, green onions, peaches and pears from those that don’t is another way to eliminate early spoilage.” “Babes if we’re going to be serious about saving $$$ and stopping food waste we should check out Grove Collaborative   https://www.grove.co/settings/account, they feature these storage solutions:

• BioBag Resealable Food Storage Bag Set. 20-quart size, 25-sandwich, 30-snack. $12.99. The quart and sandwich bags have resealable zippers. Made from plant and vegetable based materials making the 100% compostable and biodegradable.

• Reusable Bag Essentials set – $10.95. Made from food-safe BPA, keep food fresh. Easy to clean, leak-proof.

“These will make leftover days easier. Also here’s another nifty idea for saving the expensive herbs we buy; freeze them in olive oil in ice cube trays.”  LJ thoughtfully paused and…