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 Reducing food waste is a shared responsibility
where everyone can play a part. While food waste happens after
shoppers take food home, losses also occur during growing,
harvesting, processing, and transporting foods. “The goal nationally
is to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030,” says Kristin
Bogdonas, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness
educator.
Food is at the center of many celebrations, meetings and life
events, and is often an eye-catching feature of social media
accounts. Consumers regularly share pictures of favorite meals from
restaurants, successful recipes made at home, and food purchased
from the local farmers market. Despite celebrating food, food waste
remains high, says Bogdonas.
North American consumers lead the world in food waste. “Small
amounts of waste may go unnoticed over time,” says Bogdonas. “For
this reason, consumers are encouraged to track their waste and
reevaluate their habits at home and when dining out.”
April is “Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month,” (https://www.epa.gov/
sustainable-management-food/winning-reducing-food-waste-federal-interagency-strategy)
a time to take a closer look at food waste generated in the home.
Changing a few habits around meal planning, preparation, and storage
can help reduce food waste at home, save money, and protect the
environment.
Illinois Extension is launching its “30 Days of Food Rescue”
campaign on social media, says Caitlin Mellendorf, Extension
nutrition and wellness educator, to highlight the month-long
awareness. Along with viewing daily practical tips, the public and
community agencies are invited to download materials of the campaign
to share across the internet. [to top of second
column] |
Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home
• Check your kitchen food inventory before going shopping.
• At holidays, birthdays, and office parties, serve less food or try
a no-food event.
• Share meals at restaurants or order from the lunch or à la carte
menus.
• Eat leftovers for lunch the next day, or freeze the rest for a
quick meal another day.
• Use fresh fruits and vegetables first; then move to frozen, dried,
and canned produce.
• Learn more about preserving options from the National Center for
Home Food Preservation (https://nchfp.uga.edu/).
• Store foods with earlier “best-by” or “use-by” date
https://ewm.extension. illinois.edu/sites/default/files/
understanding_food_package_dates.pdf towards the front as
a reminder to use them first.
• Learn about storage techniques to keep foods fresher for longer,
such as by using the FoodKeeper App
https://ewm. extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/
files/understanding_food_package_
dates.pdf developed by USDA.
[News Authors: Kristin Bogdonas, MPH,
University of Illinois Extension, Nutrition & Wellness Educator, and
Caitlin Mellendorf, MS, RD, University of Illinois Extension,
Nutrition & Wellness Educator]
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