Hi Readers! Today we have one of our Registered Dietitian Advisors, Mary Lee Chin, blogging. Enjoy!
~Marcia
Love Food Hate Waste
As a registered dietitian who likes to get the most nutrition bang for the buck, I was particularly intrigued when I can across this government sponsored awareness program from the United Kingdom to reduce food waste. The Love Food Hate Waste campaign is funded by WRAP- “Working in partnership to help businesses, individuals and communities improve resource efficiency.” WRAP encourages and enables businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and to recycle with the goal of reducing landfill and improving the environment. Love Food Hate Waste cites that the United Kingdom throws away 8.3 million tonnes of food each year, most of which could be eaten.
Curious, I searched the statistics for the United States. A report issued in May 2011 by the FAO, found that about one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year is lost or wasted. In developing countries, most of it is food loss during production, harvest, post-harvest and processing phases. But in developed countries such as the United States it is lost through food waste, mostly caused by retailers and consumers throwing edible food into the trash. Between 209- 253 pounds per person a year is wasted in North America.
While retailers are responsible for discarding much of the food, especially produce due to cosmetic reasons, consumers also waste an astounding amount of food in our own home kitchens. As bargain hunters, we are encouraged to buy more food than we need. “Buy one; get one” free promotions are attractive draws. We also fail to plan food purchases well, resulting in food thrown away when “best-by” dates expire.
And who doesn’t have a carefully wrapped package of leftovers shoved in the back of the refrigerator. Discovered after contents have turned green, it can then be tossed away without guilt as it is too spoiled to eat. Food losses also happen because of over-preparation, plate discard, cooking losses, keeping stale half-eaten boxes of crackers and sprouted potatoes and onions that end up in the landfill. And I acknowledge having created “brown lettuce soup” in a plastic bag when salad greens become bruised and melt into a slimy goop.
It varies according to different studies and the methods used to analyze, but estimates range from 14 – 27 % of food is wasted in the home. At the high end, that is the equivalent of bring home four bags of groceries and immediately throwing one of the bags away.
What a waste of lost money and lost nutrients. I resolved to embark on a campaign to find practical everyday things to do in the home to waste less food, which will ultimately benefit the purse and the environment too. And during this recession, when the food budget is biting us back, decreasing household food wastage is one strategy to make the food dollar stretch farther.
Happily here are some easy and practical ways to save money by wasting less food and help the environment as well
Portioning: By measuring ahead, you can avoid cooking too much and having a lot of leftovers.
Too often we have good intentions but usually leftovers end up being thrown out. Use handy measuring equipment to accurately make the amount of food you need. For example, ¼ cup of raw rice makes one adult serving. Use a Spaghetti Measurer to determine how much pasta to cook. Large amounts of extra noodles end up in the trash because you have run out of the sauce. Breakfast? One perfectly portioned egg, along with a slice of toast and glass of juice.
Planning: Reserve some time to plan meals. Many people buy a stock items of groceries, with no thought of what dishes will be made that week. Too often ingredients are not used, and go to waste. Plan menus. Shop your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer first before going to the store which helps you avoid purchasing foods you already have, but forgotten. And those jars of gift jelly, boxes of gourmet wild rice and cans of vegetables used to can be turned into tasty meals. Make a list and shop your list. Impulse buying can add a lot to the grocery bill.
Leftovers are makeovers. If you know you are not going to eat the leftovers within 2-3 days, seal in freezer wrap, date and freeze at 0 degrees. These will make a great for a meal for one.
Treasure hunting: This was an exercise in creativity and a lot of fun to do. Periodically hunt through the fridge and pull out all those scraps of leftover cheese, vegetables and meat.
Beat a few eggs and start an omelet. The chopped, leftover veggies made a great filling. Sprinkle with the bits of cheese, fold over. Serve topped with the last spoonfuls of the bottled salsa.
Line a pie plate with leftover rice or polenta. Beat a few eggs with milk, add the leftover diced luncheon meat and chopped onions. Bake a quiche.
Warm flour or corn tortillas. Beat a few eggs and scramble with chopped veggies form the leftover salad (it’s OK to discard the limp lettuce). Roll into the tortillas and enjoy your breakfast burrito with some more of that salsa.
Spare fresh tomatoes about to wrinkle can be added to some canned ones and turned into spaghetti sauce. I also heated the fresh and canned tomatoes with sautéed onions and garlic, whirred in blender and served a great cold tomato soup, topped with a spoonful of Greek yogurt from the last in the container.
Bits and dabs of leftover vegetables, added to canned soup with milk produces a nourishing, quick and nutrient-rich soup.
For a free lunch, take leftover salad, meat and cheese and make a wrap.
Spread the last of the preserves on rounds of toasted French bread. Top with cheese and a crisp slice of tart apple. Voila! Appetizers!
Berries just have a short shelf life in the refrigerator. Ditto for those plums that started to overripe on the counter. Cream ¾ cup sugar with ½ cup butter. Beat in 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and two eggs. Spread in 9” spring form pan and top with berries and/or chopped fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 350 degrees for one hour.
Those bananas in the freezer saved with good intentions to bake banana bread…blend with fruit, juice and yogurt for a refreshing smoothie.
Take time to look at use by and expiration dates
At the store, buy dates with longest shelf life. Then if changing mind about using it immediately, there is still time to eat it before it goes bad.
Periodically check the use by and expiration dates of the food in your refrigerator. If you know you are not going to use it by the date, then freeze it, using appropriate airtight containers and bags and mark with masking tape/pen. Use within 2 months.
Buying in bulk saves money on a per item basis, but not if you don’t use it up before it spoils.
It took planning and thinking through on how our family uses food, rather than shopping and cooking on automatic pilot. It did take a bit more time—but not a whole lot. Mainly I had to make a concerted effort to seek and use those leftovers before they went bad, and periodically explore my kitchen cabinets. Food waste in home kitchens is not just banana skins and tea bags. Most of the discarded food could be eaten. Spend a little time planning ahead, and save money and calories, plus get a healthier diet.
Resources
Love Food Hate waste
The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact
Global Food Losses and Food Waste
