In the Alchemist's Kitchen - Vol 10

 In the Alchemist's Kitchen - Transforming Waste to Wealth

 This week - as most of us have bid our adieu to summer and are nudging back into patterns of school, activities, work - my thoughts turn to the future we are shaping for our children when it comes to food.  No, I don't intend to argue for better school lunches (at least not right now) or for a longer school lunch break (again, another time).  Today, I want to take this forum to address one worrisome aspect of food waste.  

 

 

 

 If you aren't aware, in the US, nearly 40% of our food goes to waste every year.  If we could minimize or eliminate this tragic waste, we'd go a long way in addressing the sad realities of food scarcity and childhood hunger.  According to a Global Food Conference on Food Waste, here in the US, we have more food waste by consumers than in any other country. 

 Surely we can do better. What can you do? One of the first things is to download a brochure that will give you the 2022 facts on food waste in the US here.  In this brochure, you will see how responsible consumers can reduce their household food waste in significant and simple ways.   Things like understanding the expiration dates on food labels, developing a composting system that works for your household, and buying slightly blemished but perfectly edible foods will go a long way. 

 

Fifteen Ways to Reduce Food Waste, which I'll summarize here:

1. Plan Ahead
2. Make A List
3. Be Realistic
4. Shop Small
5. Prioritize
6. Stock the Essentials
7. Don’t Overprepare
8. Take Leftovers Home
9. Use Up Leftovers
10. Keep Food Fresh
11. Don’t Toss Food Before It Spoils
12. Preserve It
13. Make the Freezer Your Best Friend
14. Share It
15. Compost It