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we have a problem of food waste, which hurts our wallets, our environment and the people who need help most. According to a 2012 report by the National Resource Conservation Commission (NRDC), the United States discards about 40% of its food every year, wasting a total of US $165 billion in miscellaneous food: more than 20 pounds of food per person per month. We are wasting precious resources to grow and transport food, such as water, energy and gasoline, and to send tons of inedible food to landfills for decomposition, where methane is released, a powerful greenhouse gas that causes global warming. At the same time, discarded food may be used to feed hungry families. In fact, NRDC reports that "15% loss reduction per year can support more than 25 million Americans." so what can you do to help them? In fact, a lot. Here are 14 starting points:
Credit: Amana images RF / Amana images / Getty Images in most cases, the "user" date has no federal regulation and is usually not related to food safety. According to NRDC, "in (or before) use" and "in (or before) use best" refer to food quality, not safety. Dr. Jennifer Quinlan, an associate professor at Drexel University, believes that dating is a new guide, not a hard rule. Two precautions: 1) the only "use" date is set by the federal government, and infant formula must be followed, said Joanne berkenkamp of NRDC; 2) in order to reduce your chance of listeriosis, use pre cooked and ready to eat foods, and throw them away as soon as possible after the "use" date, which is recommended by the Centers for disease. Control and prevention. Listeria monocytogenes is a rare but serious foodborne infection, which is common in raw and ready to eat foods, such as raw vegetables, sprouts and cooked meat. It can reproduce under cold storage temperature. Kunlan said the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with weak immune systems must be particularly careful. Get more information from your agricultural waste save money and reduce food waste by converting agricultural waste into vegetable stocks. Fill a refrigerator with clean vegetable skins, roots, stems and leaves, such as onion heads, leek stems, carrot dregs, corncobs and remaining parsley. Avoid storing spoiled agricultural products or vegetables with strong taste, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. To make a vegetable reserve, Michelle Dudash, the chef and author of "clean meals for busy families," said: 'put the vegetable residue in a pot, cover it with water, and add an inch. Simmer for an hour until the flavor is strong, season and filter. " "Vegetables are the easiest food to make in your life," says Dudash. You can also eat the stems, leaves and peel of some fruits and vegetables, such as orange peel, carrots, celery, fennel, radish leaves, broccoli stems, cauliflower leaves and vegetables. Pickles, seasoning, sauteed, mashed, shredded, juiced, soups or put them in salads. Now listen to: how to keep your room clean - even if you're in a mess. "Unsightly" agricultural products refer to fruits and vegetables with imperfect appearance. Their nutritional status and taste are the same as that of perfect similar fruits and vegetables. When some ugly fruits and vegetables are donated or sold to processors, farmers are forced to throw away the rest of the fruits and vegetables, because consumers only want to buy flawless and good-looking food. Joanne berkenkamp, of the NRDC, said that while some of the unsuitable fruits and vegetables are not in normal shape, "in many cases, you need an expert or a machine to distinguish" ugly fruits from those we find on the market. "Ugly" movement has risen in Europe, but it has not set off waves in the United States. Talk to your retailers and let them know that you are interested in "ugly" or "unshaped, non-A" products, burckamp suggests. Credit: Andersen Ross / blend images / Getty Images to copy commercial kitchens and grocery stores, and use the "first in, first out" (FIFO) system to reduce food waste. Put the expired food in front of the refrigerator. For example, if you've accumulated a lot of yogurt containers, put the expired ones in front of the ones that can last longer. Joanne berkenkamp of the National Resources Defense Council recommends that you specify a part of the refrigerator to quickly expire food so that you can always see it when you open the door. Credit: picture source / image source / Getty Images correlation: 20 kinds of food should always buy organic food. Credit: Piotr period u malczyk / iStock / Getty Images "everything except kitchen sink" meal is the best way to clean the refrigerator. Collect neglected agricultural products, such as carrots, surplus cabbage leaves and cherry tomatoes, and turn them into a meal. Put the leftover bits and pieces of food and hot rice and chili saucePut them in a bowl with boiled eggs, bake them into frittata, or make soup with vegetables, beans and the rest of the meat. RDN's Michelle Dudash gives her basic soup recipe: in a pot, stir fry chopped celery, carrots and onions in olive oil for five minutes. Add the vegetables without starch, stir fry until soft. Pour the broth into the pot and add any starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, as well as chicken legs, noodles, herbs, canned beans or chopped tomatoes. Simmer over low heat until it tastes delicious; boil the broth and vegetables into soup, or leave them in large pieces. credit card: punsyaporn / iStock / Getty Images if you don't cook regularly or need a small amount of food, please buy from bulk containers. Nuts, grains, beans, dried fruits, seeds and spices, in addition to granola Cereals, grains and baked goods are generally available. If cost is a problem, don't assume that all bulk food is cheaper than on the shelf. According to a 2011 study by Portland State University, consumers spend an average of 89% less on bulk food than on packaged food; however, a small 2012 NPR survey found that nuts and seeds in bulk food are more expensive. We must compare the unit price to find the best price. Credit: Jupiter images / photos. COM / Getty Images Credit: Evan Scala / photolibrary / Getty Images credit card: vudhikrai / iStock / Getty Images Credit: Jupiter images / photolibrary / Getty Images credit card: shalamov / iStock / Getty Images follow the following three general guidelines to keep food fresh as much as possible: 1) refrigerate or freeze perishable food immediately. Do not leave food to be refrigerated at room temperature for more than two hours (one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or above). 2) do not squeeze the food into the refrigerator or refrigerator, so as to prevent cold air circulation and cool the food to a safe temperature. 3) use the instrument thermometer to ensure that your refrigerator and freezer are at a safe temperature, i.e. the temperature in the refrigerator is 40 ° f or less, and the temperature in the freezer is 0 ° F. Credit: viktorc Associated Press / Istok / Getty Images. According to the EPA, about 14% of American families don't have enough food to live a positive and healthy life by donating things you won't use. Instead of sending nutritious food to a landfill, it's better to give it to people in need. Donate non perishable and uncontaminated fresh food to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and food rescue programs. If you are concerned about liability, under EPA rules, all food donors who donate apparently healthy food in good faith will be exempt from civil and criminal liability under the good Samaritan act. Credit: Jupiter images / Stockbyte / Getty Images do you think these ideas help? What can you do to reduce food waste? Do you have any good suggestions to share with us? We are glad to hear from you. credit card: Minerva studio / iStock / Getty Images Advertisements 1. Don't worry about the "user" date
4. Use the "first in, first out" system
5. Composting at home is a way to break down organic matter, such as food waste and leaves, so you can add them to the soil to provide nutrients for growing plants. To compost, you need two basic ingredients: Brown (dead leaves, branches, branches, etc.) and green (fruit and vegetable residues, grass scraps, coffee grounds, etc.). You can make a pile of compost in the backyard, or you can use a sealed compost box in the kitchen. If you don't want to do it yourself, freeze the food scraps and send them to your local green market, community garden or compost friend's home. To reduce odors, growyc recommends lining the bottom of the refrigerator with shredded paper. Darby Hoover, a senior resource expert at the NRC, said cities like San Francisco and Oakland "have roadside integrated collection of food waste and yard waste, which means you can include de projects that are not available in your home composting system, such as meat waste.
6. If a restaurant is notorious for its large size (or if you're not very hungry), you need half of it. NRDC suggests that restaurants are usually happy to offer small portions at low prices, even if they are not listed on the menu. If you end up eating leftovers that can be refrigerated in two hours, ask the restaurant to pack them. NRDC reports that only half of Americans eat leftovers from restaurants, resulting in a large amount of preventable food waste. Making "kitchen sink" meal
8. Buy from bulk containers
9. Freeze things you can't use, as long as the refrigerator temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, you can freeze almost anything safely (except canned food or eggshells). Frozen food is at its highest quality, not when it starts to go bad. Although safety is not a problem, not all foods can maintain quality in the refrigerator. On Michelle Dudash's freezer list? Stew, spaghetti sauce, casserole, patties, meatballs, anything in a slow saucepan, fresh vegetables and fruits, stew, like bacon or beef shoulder. If you seal up the food, Dudash says you can keep it for four to six months without a big loss of quality.
10. Put the agricultural products in the front and the middle, and put the fruits and vegetables in a conspicuous place, not in the potato chip drawer. " I like to ask them to rest quietly, or to "tear" the drawers, because once they get in, you will forget them, and then they will be destroyed, and you have to throw them away. "Now it's a waste of time," said RDN dawn Blatner, author of the upcoming book the superfood swap diet. "Put the prepared food in a clean container, in the refrigerator, at eye level, so you're more likely to eat it." Or put it on the counter, not in the cupboard or drawer.
11. Use sharp to record the date of opening or freezing, and record the date of opening perishable products on the container. The manufacturer will usually tell you to use it within a few days after opening, and you will never doubt how long it has been on the shelf. Sharpie also works with leftovers: just before freezing, record the date on the leftovers. In this way, you know how long it has been in it, and you won't throw away some good things too early.
12. Make a change if you want to reduce food waste but hate leftovers, make a change. Add proteins to salads, such as steak slices, roast chicken, seafood or Douchi, vegetable filling packaging, Bread Pizza, tacos or tacos, to create new meals. Michelle Dudash of RDN suggests turning over a leftover vegetable tray. Or make a salmon dip with cooked salmon - mash the cooked salmon with mayonnaise, fresh herbs and dry seasoning and serve on a biscuit.
13. Properly store food
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