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The Food We Waste

Food Waste
Photo: USDA Flickr

What food do you have on hand? Have you shopped your refrigerator or cabinets before going to the grocery store? As you prepare for the holidays, what is your plan for food? While we don’t want to run out of food, think about what you will do with the leftovers. In almost 32% of average households, that leftover food, along with forgotten food, is wasted. Of all of the sources of wasted food, residential homes make up 37.2% of surplus food wasted. What can be done?

Go back to basic consumer skills. During the height of the pandemic, consumers wasted less food. Now that we have resumed many normal activities, that amount of waste has surged. Take a look at your kitchen management plan. Make a shopping list before going to the grocery store. Create a meal plan to utilize what you have before you buy more food. Preparing meals at home can help reduce food waste. Freeze leftovers to use later. Make a plan about the consequences of wasting food at home. Challenge family members with incentives to help encourage smart food use.

Sources:
https://bit.ly/3Ht8Fr0
https://bit.ly/3FIWC7U
https://bit.ly/3BReRpt

 

About Karen Blakeslee

The Rapid Response Center was formed in 1995 as a resource for Kansas State University Research & Extension Agents. Resource topics included Food Science, Human Nutrition, Food Service, Textiles, Home Care and other consumer topics. Since that time, the Center has grown to be of valuable assistance to Kansas State University Extension Specialists in those areas.