The saying goes, “That’s a first world problem.” Wasting food is one of those problems. It’s inconceivable how much of our food ends up in the landfill! In our new magazine, we talk about keto farm to table, which means you are eating more fresh produce and meat directly from the farmers. But, how much can you eat before it starts to rot? We offer some advice and ideas that we will outline here.
Is This an Issue?
In Canada, we throw out 63% of food produced. ⅓ of it (about 20%) is edible when we throw it out. This equals about $1300 per household per year. In case Americans are feeling superior, they waste 38% of all edible food and the average household wastes $1500 a year. I don’t know about anyone else, but we could use another $1,500 or so a year in our wallets!
Obviously, the food in question is mostly perishable foods. In Canada, we mostly waste vegetables. In the States, the food wasted most often is dairy products. We also waste fruit, leftovers, and bread. Some things, like meat by-products, coffee grinds, etc. are not a big deal. We can use them for things, but most people don’t. Food that could have actually eaten and enjoyed by families is what we have to focus on saving.
Why Are We Wasting Food?
So, some food gets wasted before we even get it home. We are very particular, and if our fruits and vegetables don’t look exactly perfect, we won’t buy them. They don’t make it out of the grocery stores. And, speaking of grocery stores, they will often overstock the produce. If we don’t see a large variety of options, we start to panic. Is there a food shortage? What’s happening? We don’t like bare shelves, so they make sure we don’t see any.
Restaurants are also big wasters of food, which is amazing as it’s one of their major expenses. Many places don’t have a way of tracking food inventory and waste. Those who do have tracking systems experience a cut in costs, but it takes some money to get it set up in the first place. And, speaking of restaurants, many people get servings while eating out that are more than they can eat. That food either goes into the garbage or taken home in a doggy bag and likely thrown out a few days later.
Our Busy Lives
The biggest issue though is that we buy food and just don’t eat it before it goes bad. We have great intentions of eating at home every night this week so we go grocery shopping and we stock up our fridge and crisper. Then, we’re late one night and have to get little Jimmy to a soccer practice. We have a hard day at work and we’re just too tired to cook the fresh broccoli. One thing happens after another, and we just end up tossing the fresh food we took the time and money to buy.
How to Stop Wasting Food
It’s important to plan ahead and know what you’re going to have for dinner each night. We find half the struggle of cooking at home is trying to decide what to eat. Check what you still have that’s good in the fridge and plan from that.
The magazine will offer you ways to store fresh vegetables and berries so they last longer. For example, did you know that cucumbers should be on your counter, not in your refrigerator? So should tomatoes, although they should not be beside the cucumbers – apparently they don’t interact and play nicely together. If you take a few minutes to prepare the food when you bring it home, it won’t seem so daunting when it’s time to cook after a hard day at work.
We also have directions on how to can and freeze fresh food. Especially if you live in a colder climate, you will need to do this if you are buying directly from a farmer. They don’t have a lot of cauliflower available in January in Canada. Not only do we share how to store food, we also suggest how to cook it when it comes out of your mason jar or freezer bag so it is tasty and not mushy. And, you’ll be happy to know that the food has as many nutrients when you cook them as they had when you preserved them!
Stop Wasting Food and Save Your Money
We know that food costs are climbing at an alarming rate. We know that our rates of obesity are going through the roof. Having fresh, whole foods on hand all year round can help with both those problems. If you have a little money to invest upfront, go to a local farmer and see what you can get. Then, preserve it for the winter. You’ll love a burst of berry flavour on your chaffles in the middle of winter!
Wendy
