World Food Day is important time to recognize the pressing need to end world hunger and food insecurity. While this day has a global focus, the issues of hunger and food insecurity are also close to home. More than one in seven American households (14.3 percent) are food insecure, meaning that these households lacked access to enough food for building healthy eating habits and lifestyles for all members of that household.
One important step toward reducing hunger and food insecurity is to waste less food. Reducing food waste not only has large humanitarian implications but also reduces your carbon footprint by decreasing the processing, transport, and storage involved in food production. Additionally, reducing food waste has financial implications, too. More than 20 pounds of food is wasted per person, per month, in the US. That’s a whole lot of cash being thrown down the drain.
But how are Americans approaching the food waste problem? Recent data from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation 2016 Food & Health Survey reveal that about one-third of Americans (30 percent) report that they “don’t create any food waste.” Of the remainder who admit that they do contribute to food waste, the top causes include forgetting about perishable food until it’s too late (19 percent), purchasing too much fresh or perishable food (17 percent), cooking big meals and throwing some of it away (8 percent), and not eating everything they put on their plate (7 percent).
This doesn’t mean Americans are not taking steps to reduce food waste. In fact, the results from the Survey indicate the contrary. Americans report that they are being more strategic about leftovers by either taking them home from restaurants (58 percent), using leftovers from cooking (53 percent), or using or freezing leftovers in a timely manner (47 percent). Additionally, more than one in two Americans are all about the meal prep by planning their meals (51 percent) and making shopping lists (51 percent).
In addition to these responses, here are additional strategies you can take to reduce food waste. Check out the list below to learn more!
1. Focus on your portions: While eating everything on your plate is a great way to prevent food waste, portioning out what you need before you begin eating makes sure you aren’t eating (and wasting!) extra calories. Understanding what proper portion sizes look like and calorie needs for your body is key to reduce unfinished food and can help you achieve your weight-loss goals.
2. Select a variety of fresh, dried, frozen, and canned foods: While fresh fruits and veggies are a great option, dried, frozen, or canned items last much longer. Just keep in mind added sugars and salt when choosing from these options.
3. Stay “up to date” on your food options: Not sure about the differences among “sell by,” “use by” and “best by” dates? See below for more clarification on these phrases.
- Use by: As determined by food and beverage manufacturers when the food or beverage should be consumed. If you have food in your pantry or fridge after the “use by” date, toss it out.
- Sell by: As determined by food and beverage manufacturers when the food or beverage should be sold at retail. It is still safe to consume foods after this date has passed.
- Best by: Date by which the product should be consumed for ideal quality. It is still safe to consume foods after this date has passed.
- Focusing on these phrases can help you be more deliberate when you are at the grocery or when you are cleaning out your pantry or fridge.
Don’t let World Food Day be a blip on our busy schedules. Rather, let’s try to implement a few new tactics to do our part to create a more sustainable and accessible food system.
The IFIC Foundation’s full 2016 Food & Health Survey findings and additional information are available on the Foundation’s website: http://www.foodinsight.org/2016-FHS.
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The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is dedicated to the mission of effectively communicating science-based information on health, food safety and nutrition for the public good. The IFIC Foundation is supported primarily by the broad-based food, beverage and agricultural industries. Visit http://www.foodinsight.org.