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Food and Waste

June 6th, 2013 at 12:35 am

Last night I was reading an article in Ladies Home Journal. The article was about the amount of food people waste. I'm not talking about simply throwing stuff out after it was on their plate, but buying fruits and vegetables and not using them, letting stuff in the pantry go to waste, and not using leftovers.

It was kind of shocking how much food is left uneatened. I think it is a minimum of 10 percent just for fresh fruits and vegetables. I can't imagine spending money on fresh fruit and letting it rot. Basically, it is folks buying it and instead of eating at home, eating out or buying fast food. It is sad.

My husband was kidding me tonight. Yesterday for lunch we had leftover sloppy chicks from Sunday night. For lunch today we had pulled pork sandwiches made from leftover pork we had at last night's supper. Tonight's supper was a casserole made with leftover turkey from Monday's meal. We also had mashed potatoes leftover from Monday's meal. He asked if I used everything up yet?

Saturday night I had roasted a chicken and I pulled the meat off. We had some of it for dinner and I had put some aside. A friend of ours had fallen and broken her hand and so with the leftover chicken and some broth I had made previously, I made a large dish of chicken and noodles. I had cooked potatoes with the chicken and made a few extra and mashed them to give them as well and also on Saturday, I had peeled a bunch of apples for apple juice and apple sauce. I gave them half of the apple sauce.

I hate wasting food. Not only because of the expense, but also because it is simply wasteful. Most of the time our meals with everything included run less than $10 for both of us. I believe in eating fairly healthy, so I don't think it is exorbinant. Some friends of ours eat out at least once a day and often twice a day. DH was figuring it up the other day. He said they probably spent almost $60 for those two meals. That's a lot of money for one day just to eat -- nothing special as a birthday party or going on vacation -- just eating. And these folks complain about money being tight.

DH might kid me about repurposing leftovers, but I noticed he had three helpings of the casserole tonight. Guess he liked it!

8 Responses to “Food and Waste”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1370478490

    I read that same article!

  2. LuckyRobin Says:
    1370480347

    The amount of food waste in this country is ridiculous. What is sad is how much is wasted before it even has a chance to get to the consumer. But the only waste most of us can control is that in our own garbage can.

    Since I started trying to eat as sustainably as possible we see a lot less waste here. Because I pay more for truly organic produce or grow it myself and because we get our meat directly from the farm, I am desperate not to waste it. How can you justify paying extra for purer foods if you then throw them away? I imagine when we start harvesting the rabbits, there won't be a drop of it that goes to waste. Not after all the work and care I've put into it.

    Fortunately even if some produce and even some meat starts to go off I can feed it to the chickens. And worst comes to worst the produce can go in the compost and we'll still get some benefit out of it. But I can't remember the last time I wasted produce.

  3. PNW Mom Says:
    1370487178

    I read the same article...very eye opening!

  4. PatientSaver Says:
    1370514533

    I don't think i usually waste a lot of food, though lately, i felt i have, at least, more than i prefer. I recently chucked a very old half head of cabbage, a container of homegrown stringbeans from last's year garden (dethawed but never eaten) and hmmm, i thought there were a few other things. Oh, like the expensive, refrigerated pouch of cat food that my cats don't like.

  5. Buendia Says:
    1370525224

    Couldn't find that article, but I completely agree! I think a big key is meal planning. I was just watching a British TV show called Superscrimpers and the couple on the show go to the shops every other day with no list, no plan (and they end up with tons of wasted food that rots or expires)... they were challenged to cook for five days just from their existing stash of food and an additional five quid.

  6. SecretarySaving Says:
    1370525873

    You are so right!

  7. rob62521 Says:
    1370530243

    I agree, meal planning is the key to using food, as well as having food available so one isn't tempted to go out.

  8. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1370534512

    FF, start a column on 'Crazy Ways to Use What's in the Fridge' ; would be a fun read and we all have some wacky ideas!

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