Wasted Food

If you’re like me, you could use a little help getting through your Tuesday. On that front, Weird Al never fails. Anyway, meet Violet, Gordon and the Gang of Misfit Fruits (and Veggies):

Wow. We sure do love to anthropomorphize food, but they’re effective spokespeople. Also, isn’t it a bit odd that these fruits and veggies […]

Last week, I wrote about having to buy a half-pound bag of bean sprouts when I just needed a handful. This week, in making an encore entree out of cold sesame noodles, I went to the Asian grocer nearby and bought just the right amount.
Not only did I preclude any extra sprouts, which I never […]

To get you in the mood for the weekend, here’s a bit about fishing. More specifically, it’s a discussion of fishing “waste” and ethics by a charter boat operator.
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Here’s a rare occasion when the government actually asks restaurants to offer smaller portions. Of course, this isn’t in the U.S., but The Philippines.
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While I […]

Well, The Fed is at it again, cutting interest rates. But could the recession sparking these moves “cut” the rate of food wasted?
As you’d expect, there’s less eating out in lean times. This article documents that trend from a trash collector’s perspective. Less business, means less food waste, right? Maybe.
Fewer diners equals less plate waste […]

I attended the 8th annual Organics Recycling Summit yesterday in Massachusetts. It was a useful conference that focused on how to prevent food waste from going to landfills. Lots on composting and, my favorite, anaerobic digestion.
Among other things, I learned more about the impressive Massachusetts Supermarket Recycling Program, in which almost […]

I recently received this comment from Brett, a student at Allegheny College, on his school’s dining practices:
the reasoning I get for the overpreparation is so they don’t run out of any item. The rationale is you are supposed to be able to come at the last minute of the meal (9:59 for breakfast, 1:29 for lunch, […]

A reader recently sent me this article about Haitians so poor they’ve resorted to making cookies from mud, salt and vegetable shortening and I’ve been wrestling with whether to pass it along.
While I don’t want to be manipulative and say, ‘See, these kids eat mud cookies, you shouldn’t waste food,’ I sort of do. Now, […]

How do I know this trayless dining hall thing is really taking off? Harvard is giving it a whirl.
As The Harvard Crimson reports, Quincy House will eliminate trays during Thursday dinners in February. While four nights isn’t a huge commitment, that hasn’t stopped students from complaining. To wit, this whiny lead:
The daily challenge of […]

Boulder, Colo., is contemplating curbside food waste collection by truck. Alternately, they could reduce costs and emissions by sending around Ralphie (see right). Well, most of the emissions.
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This interesting New York Times piece examines North Jersey beefsteaks, the mostly male, meat-eating affairs. In it, the author (who also keeps an entertaining blog on […]

I have a dream. A dream that more school districts will follow the example of Wisconsin’s Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagen School District. Their composting program makes too much sense not to be emulated.
And while there are certainly larger problems in our country, I hope we see a day ‘when little black boys and black girls will be […]