by TNFP Sustainability Team
For Week 2 of Earth Month Challenge, we’re taking a look at food waste.
In the United States alone, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of all food produced. Wasted food is the largest contributor of material placed in landfills, which produces approximately 15 percent of all methane emissions. The water, energy, and labor used to produce wasted food could have been directed for other purposes—not to mention the wasted nourishment that could have gone to feed families in need.
Day 8: Understand Your Food Labels
Confusion over date labeling accounts for an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste. According to the USDA:
A ‘Best if Used By or Before’ date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
A ‘Sell-By’ date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
A ‘Use-By’ date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula.
A ‘Freeze-By’ date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
Learn more about food labeling and how to determine if food is safe to eat by clicking HERE.
Day 9: Make a First Use Box for The Refrigerator
An easy way to prevent food going beyond its safety date is to create a designated space in your fridge for foods that you think will be going bad within a few days, and use those items first.
Day 10: Commit to Composting
Organic waste in landfills generates methane. Composting food waste scraps creates a product that can be used to help improve soils, grow the nutrient rich produce, and improve water quality. We don’t have to have a yard to commit to composting though. We can partner with a local curbside collection program like our friends Compost Nashville who collect residential and commercial food waste. If you are interested in starting your own compost system at home our colleagues at FoodPrint have a great composting 101 to follow HERE.
Day 11: Freeze Food Scraps for Stock
Instead of throwing away the tops, bottoms, skins, leaves, stems, or cobs of the vegetables, consider freezing your scraps first to use for a tasty vegetable stock.
Place your vegetables scraps into a gallon-sized freezer bag until it is full. Make sure to press all the air out of the bag before sealing it to avoid freezer burn. It can stay in your freezer for up to six months. When ready to make stock, dump the bag into a pot and fill it with water until the scraps start to float. Add herbs and seasoning to taste. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil, then let it simmer uncovered for about an hour. Strain and keep or use the liquid. There you have it, delicious homemade stock. The remaining strained vegetable scraps can be composted. Enjoy your vegetable stock within four days of making it, or freeze it and use within three months.
Day 12: Cook Every Part: Stems, Greens, Seeds
The average amount of food wasted per person every year in the United States is 238 pounds. Another great way to reduce those numbers is by cooking every part of the ingredient. Here are some inspiring tips on how to use the stems, greens, peels, seeds, and fun tips on how to use non-edible parts like egg shells, avocado pits, and citrus seeds.
Day 13: Try a Food Scrap Recipe
Many food scrap recipes are not only tasty but super-easy to make such as Crispy Potato Peel Chips. The peels are often discarded on potatoes, which is a shame since the peels are the most nutritious part of the potato.
Crispy Potato Peel Chips
Ingredients:
Peelings from two potatoes
Two teaspoons olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper, or have fun and add a shake on any of your favorite seasoning blends.Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Gently toss the peelings with the olive oil. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet, and season away.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or so, watching carefully through the oven door to make sure they don’t get too brown. Remove when they are crispy and serve at once.
Day 14: Learn How To Increase the Life of Fruit and Veggies
If your veggies start to wilt, that does not mean they are ready for the compost pile. Perk them up by submerging them in cold water. Learn more ways to preserve life in your fruit and veggies from this in-depth guide from our colleagues with the ReduceReuse initiative in Seattle.