According the National Resource Defense Council, the average American tosses 25% of the food they buy. That's like going to the grocery store, buying four bags of food, and leaving one in the parking lot. Food lost to the landfill also means wasted water to grow the food, wasted fuel to transport the food, wasted labor, wasted time, and wasted money.
Fortunately, there’s steps you can take to save the food.
Check out these great resources to help you shop smarter, meal prep, freeze efficiently, and understand food labels:
- Dive into Waste Food Guide by Dakota Valley Recycling
- Shop smarter meal planning sheet by Eureka Recycling
- Food storage directory by Savethefood.com
- Food waste tracking sheet by Eureka Recycling
- Know the difference between "use-by" and "sell-by." Spoiler: they don't really mean much unless it's infant formula
- Learn about the different temperature zones in the fridge to store perishables most effectively
- Check out this Ten Tips for Making Dinner, Not Waste bye Eureka Recycling
- Check out the Save the Food campaign for more tips and tricks including how to decipher dates, recipes using leftovers, how to freeze efficiently, and how to waste less- even with kids.
- Check out Dakota County's tips and tricks on what you can do in your own home to prevent food waste and to see the campaign that's going on in your own community!
View The Extraordinary Life and Times of a Strawberry brought to you by the National Ad Council
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