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Expert offers Tips On Reducing Food Waste

By Joel Hardy

08/14/2014

(KAIR)--According to statistics released by the United States Department of Agriculture, Americans wasted approximately 133 billion pounds of food in 2010. That's about 31 percent of the total food supply and worth about $161 billion.

K-State Research and Extension human nutrition specialist Mary Meck Higgins says that most people would be surprised to learn that they could eat free for nearly 51 days by simply not wasting food they have already purchased.

Higgins says there are many reasons to reduce the amount of food wasted in the United States, and these reasons can be divided into two categories. First, wasted foods can take a toll on both your budget and your time. The second category is at a global environmental level, since wasting food can be a drain on our natural resources.

Other ways to reduce food waste include eating leftovers from the evening meal for lunch the following day, and using extra food as ingredients in separate recipes. However, Higgins says you don't have to do all of these things at once. She suggests just start with one or two different practices. The more you do them, the more likely it is that you will pick up better food saving habits.

More information on avoiding food waste is available at county and district Extension offices or by going to ksre.ksu.edu

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