Cut Back on Wasted Food

In a world, even a country, where people do not have enough to eat, Americans routinely throw away about 1/3 of the food that they buy. Sadly, those as the upper end of the economic scale, eating the best diets, also waste the most food. That is 150,000 tons of food every day, roughly 1 pound for every man, woman and child in America. Aside from the hit to your family budget, all this waste exacts an environmental toll as well.

Here are some suggestions from the USDA for reducing your personal food waste.

Never shop without a grocery list. And make your list based on what you plan to eat before your next shopping trip. That, of course, suggest that you have a plan. Unless it is something that will not spoil, do not buy it if its not on your list, even if its a great price or special deal. Most special deals really aren't if you throw most of it away.

Try using frozen fruits and vegetables whenever possible. They are every bit as nutritious as fresh, you can use just the amount you need and they will not spoil. As a bonus, they are usually frozen washed and pre-cut.

Buy smaller quantities, especially fruits, vegetables, potatoes and bread that tend to spoil quickly. When possible, buy individually wrapped portions.

Move leftovers and older items to the front in your refrigerator so you don't forget about them. And "shop your fridge" before you head out to the store. You may already have some of the things you were about to buy more of.

Make more frequent trips to the store and buy less each trip. This sounds like a real PITA, but I find that it is really almost no effort to make a quick stop at the grocery while I am out doing other things anyway.

We can't fix this problem without the cooperation of government, producers, sellers and consumers. But we can each do what we can do right away.