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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Dumpster Diving, Mustgoes for Dinner, and Negotiating Sardines

Earlier this year, I watched this documentary:



What I saw was staggering...every year in America, filmmaker Jeremy Seifert claims, we throw away 96 billion pounds of food...as much food, he says, as we feed ourselves. That is the equivalent of $165 billion dollars wasted, says the National Resources Defense Council(NRDC).

And then, when you consider the poor who are food insecure, wasting food becomes that much worse. According to Feeding America, 50.1 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, including 16.7 million children.  Reducing our food waste by only 15% would feed more than 25 million people every year, claims the NRDC.

From an environmental standpoint, the NRDC states that going "from farm to fork" uses 10% of the total U.S. Energy budget, 50% of U.S. land, and 80% of freshwater consumed in the U.S.

Food waste becomes a big deal.

While Seifert's practices are a bit unorthodox, I was still moved by the vast quantities of thrown away food and the restrictions surrounding food donation.

I thought about the take-away message of Dive and what I could do in my own home, in my own kitchen. 

Here's what I gleaned:

1. Inventory the fridge, freezer, cabinets and pantry. Dig into the corners and the back spaces. What has been put away and forgotten? Check expiration dates and use my judgment about whether it needs to be tossed.

2. Be mindful about what I buy and what I order at restaurants. Choose items that I really will want to finish up and not throw away.

3. Get creative...need to use up those canned beans? Summer is the perfect time for a grain and bean salads. Need to use up some frozen meat? Throw what I can on the grill...have friends over and have a "mustgo" party...everything must go. Who can be the most creative with what's in the cabinet today?

4. For food that has spoiled, compost what I can. Recycle the containers and make better choices.

5. Stay local. When I buy from the farm, I am working within a more reasonable shelf-life. Buy local, eat fresh...it's a win-win.


Now, of course, if you're into doomsday prepping or anticipating a zombie apocalypse, you may not be interested in emptying your food stores. My husband, who tends to be an over-buyer (as in stacks of canned sardines in the cabinet) likes to play the devil's advocate.

It doesn't have to be a zombie apocalypse, he says. What about a bank crisis? Or an energy crisis? With no access to cash? What if the markets close?

He has a point, I guess. Having lived in South Florida, I can vouch for the madness that results post-hurricane when you're an ill-prepared northerner with debit and credit cards that need electricity to function, limited cash, and a scant supply of non-perishable food. 

I get it.

So I conceded the sardines in exchange for non-negotiable trips to the farm for fresh produce. We both win.

Regardless of our food storage practices, we can't deny that as a society, we waste a lot of food...in our restaurants, in our schools, in our markets, and in our homes. Being more thoughtful with our food consumption and disposal, as we do with other mindful practices, such as recycling and gas consumption, will have far reaching benefits, including the bottom line. 

We don't have to dive, as Seifert does. Being aware and making the best choices we can will make a real difference, one meal at a time. 

And those sardines...it's all you. Bon provecho!

Un besote.








17 comments:

  1. I think we all could stand to take a long look at our fridge, freezer and pantry and considering ow to make more responsible food purchases! Thanks for the reminder!
    P.S. I am visiting from NaBloPoMo

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tamara, thanks so much for stopping by! :-) For us, overbuying is just a bad habit, I think. The great thing about summer though, is the availability of good, fresh food that needs to be eaten soon. Thanks again...I appreciate your visit and your comments. :-) Please come back again soon. Happy weekend!

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  2. I grew up in a household where we didn't waste food, my Mom was very mindful of what she purchased and made sure she used it prior to the expiration date. In the summertime, I am all for buying local from our wonderful farms in the area and I continue to follow in my Mom's footsteps regarding not wasting. When I am out in the public, I am very aware of how much people waste food and I find it such a shame because it isn't they way I was raised. Also, we go thru our pantry twice a year, especially our spices.

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    Replies
    1. J, I grew up the same way. Sometimes, I think we've become so hyper paranoid about expiration and sell-by dates that we are throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. What I see with students at school and with people in restaurants is beyond frustrating. And it's not only with food. Sometimes I think we've become such a throw-away society. But I keep hope with comments, like yours, that there are some who are aware and make likeminded choices. Thank you for your feedback...it's always appreciated. Happy weekend! :-)

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  3. My husband and I are very mindful of wasting food ~ we keep very little on hand and buy fresh as much as possible. It helps having a sister who has a farm and we do have a veggie garden of our own. It is sad indeed that so many places cannot provide excess to those in need rather than just throw it away ~ we have become a throw-away society and not just when it comes to food ~ great thought provoking post!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Judi! Thanks so much for the feedback. How lucky you are to have such access to home-grown produce. Here, our growing season is so short...we love supporting our local farmers. Thanks again for visiting and for your comments. :-)

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  4. We try to buy from our local farmers as much as we could. Visiting from THE Collective Social Blog Hop. Thank you for linking up. Have a fabulous day!

    xo,
    Janise
    http://MamaInHeels.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Janise! Thanks so much for visiting. We also try to support our local farmers as much as we can. I wish we were the norm, rather than the exception. Maybe someday. Thanks again for visiting. Heading over to MamainHeels now. :0)

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  5. If everybody would do just a bit - whatever they could do - it would add a whole lot.

    Thanks so much for this insightful post!

    Came to you from the Sunday Social blog hop. I have followed you on all of your social media channels.

    Have a great week!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa,
      Thanks so much for the visit and the follows...heading over to yours now. :-) And you're right...a lot of people doing a little can change the world. Thanks, again. :-)

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  6. Hi, I'm a new follower from the Monday hop.

    I'd love it if you can follow me back :)

    xoxo
    ochibernadas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ochi,
      Thanks for stopping by...heading over to your blog now. :-)

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  7. I've actually read that preppers believe you should rotate your stash of canned goods. What good does it do you to have a cabinet full of expired food when a storm hits (or whatever)? So you can compromise by stocking up, and still using things before they spoil.

    Also, sardines? Really? I know that eating wee tiny fish like that from the bottom of the fishy food chain is great for the environment, but when things hit the fan, I still don't think I'd be able to eat them. I'll stick with stockpiling beans.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jen,
      Thanks for stopping by. Rotation is exactly what needs to happen, because canned goods, like anything, have a shelf life. As for the sardines, they are strictly a hubby thing (and my mother-in-law as well). As for me, I'm with you...beans are the way to go. Sardines are not for me...canned, fresh or otherwise. ;-) Thanks again for visiting.

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  8. Hi you have a Very Nice Blog. . .
    How about we follow each other? let me know :)
    www.ourjaipur.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Lovely! Love your awesome blog.
    I'm your newest follower from Blog Hop. Followed you via Bloglovin' FB & GFC.
    Feel free to visit, leave comments and follow me @ www.revampspunkyrena.com
    xoxo
    Rena

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rena! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your feedback. I am off to visit revampspunkyrena now. :-) Looking forward to reading your blog.

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