American Wasteland
Are You Throwing Half Your Food Away?

Are You Contributing to an American Wasteland?

Have you ever considered how much food waste you as an individual, couple, or as a family generate? Do you think twice (or more) before tossing last night’s leftovers two days later? Do you shop for food on an empty stomach?

Before reading “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It)” by Jonathan Bloom, we didn’t give much thought to the above questions. But all of that’s changed.

"Eyes Bigger Than Our Stomachs"

Despite being parents of 3 kids (parenting for the last 7 years), we still seem to make way too much food for dinner. (You mean and 4 year old boy doesn’t eat three big bowls of rice and veggies for dinner and a 2-year old doesn’t have the stomach for two heaping servings of vegan enchiladas?)

And yes, we do very very often end up at the grocery store when all of us are starving, and as a result buy more than we can really eat within a few days (thus produce does sometimes find its way to the compost pile uneaten.)

Cleaning Up Our Act

Our family is a work in progress. We’re doing what we can to clean up our act when it comes to wasting food.

According to the book, Americans throw away about 1/2 pound of food per person per day, much of it still fit for consumption. This adds up to 197 pounds of food per person per year. In a country (not to mention a world) where millions go hungry each day, 197 pounds of food per person/year is a lot of money, time, energy, resources, and food literally thrown away unnecessarily.

So what has changed for us since reading the book? We’re much more creative with our leftovers--soups, filling for wraps and breakfast burritos, or a collage of different “mini” dishes for dinner (we’re much more likely to use the leftovers in new ways, rather than thinking we needed to eat it exactly the same way as the days before).

We also make it a priority to use the leftovers sooner than later, making it less likely they’ll go “bad.” We’re also trying to shop for food after we eat, rather than just before when our stomachs are desperate for food. Finally, and probably most important for us, we’re making smaller amounts of food for the family for meals, this way we have fewer leftovers and less food ends up in the compost pile.

• Buy your groceries on a full stomach.

• Make smaller portions and amounts of food for your meals.

• Get creative with your leftovers and actually eat them.

• Empty the box/bag or other “container” of a food item before buying more.

• Plan your meals a few days or a week in advance.

• Make a grocery list and stick to it.

• Read the book,"American Wasteland," by Jonathan Bloom. (There are gobs of suggestions in this fascinating and important book for wasting less food.)

Your money, your time, your food, and ultimately your life are of enormous importance. Let’s make choices in our lives that support how we truly value our time, our money, our food, our lives, and our planet.

Be Vegan, Be Vibrant!

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