Tara Parker-Pope recently wrote a post about how the majority of our food is sent to the dumpster. This sounded like a troubling thought, so I decided to read further.
Parker-Pope reports that about a quarter of all food produced in the US is tossed. The food is tossed for various reasons including perceptions of spoilage and contamination. We all know that person that throws out the apple because it has a bruise on it. Or the person that buys the gallon of milk even though they only ever get through half of it before it goes bad. Then there is the person that refuses to box up leftovers because they don't taste the same the next day. All of these actions contribute to the 25% food waste rate.
Parker-Pope argues that if households make a few changes, they can significantly reduce food waste. First, you should under-stock your fridge instead of over-stocking. That way, you will have fewer foods to chose from and will consume them before they have the chance to spoil. Another solution is to freeze foods which will spoil before consumption. That way, they will last longer. Yet another solution is to plan our your weeks meals in detail before hitting the grocery store.
Although, the one thing Parker-Pope fails to mention is that in some cases throwing food away is the best option. For example, I personally toss quite a bit of food. But I do so for health reasons. It should come as no surprise to hear that many Americans overeat and are driven to obesity. I would much rather waste some food here and there than become obese.
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