Food waste is a huge problem in the United States. In fact, approximately one pound of food is wasted per person per day in this country. Throwing away food is harmful to our environment because food that is thrown in the trash gets sent to landfills. In a landfill, food isn’t able to properly break down, and it produces methane gas. Methane gas enters the atmosphere and contributes to the greenhouse effect and climate change.
So what can we do to reduce our food waste? Sean O’Grady is a family medicine specialist who advocates for health, fitness, and green initiatives. A healthy planet translates into healthy people. Today he shares the top ways to reduce your food waste:
- Check the expiration dates of food while you are at the store, and make sure you can use it before it expires.
- Plan out your meals, and have a plan for your leftovers.
- Try batch cooking some meals and keeping them in the freezer for later.
- Keep track of the food you already have at home so you don’t accidentally buy extra.
- Don’t be afraid of imperfect fruit and veggies. They often will stay on teh shelves and eventually get thrown away.
- If you can, compost your food scraps.
- Buy local and in-season produce. The less that food has to travel to get to you, the better for the planet.
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