I came across an interesting article in the CUESA.org newsletter about a new book titled “American Wasteland” by Jonathan Bloom. In it, he examines just how much of the food we produce in America is wasted or thrown out, the reasoning behind it, and how much it negatively impacts our environment. Just how much food do we waste? According to Bloom and the study he is quoting, we throw out a whopping 40% of the food we produce, and most of this is coming from households. He goes on to talk about the effects this has on our environment due to all the wasted resources that went into growing the food, shipping it, and then getting it onto your dinner table. Bloom’s basic message is to stop wasting so much food. But what does that mean for your waistline? It sounds counterintuitive in the sense that I’m saying to eat more when you might be trying to do the exact opposite. Now I ask you to think of exactly what type of food you might be throwing away because it went bad before you could do anything with it. It’s certainly not the bags of preservative-laden cookies, chips, and desserts. More often than not, what gets thrown out are fruits and vegetables. And if you were eating more of these, you will likely have less room for all those processed foods that keep so nicely on your shelves for weeks on end.
Here are a few suggestions to help you put these ideas into practice:
– Throw wilted greens into soups and stews
– Add leftover beans to pasta for a hearty boost of protein
– Freeze extra berries to use in smoothies
– Chop up any leftover vegetables to make a quick stir fry
– Make banana bread with your overripe bananas
– Whip up a quick pesto with leftover herbs
Wasting less food is not only good for the environment, but good for your health as well. And remember, whatever you dont use be sure to compost!