Those of us in the U.S. are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow and I just read a disturbing statistic: Of the 700 million pounds of turkey that will be purchased for tomorrow’s holiday feasts, about 235 million pounds will end up in the trash.
Food waste is a problem year round, of course. But on a day when we gather to give thanks for abundance, let’s honor the harvest by pledging to reduce the amount of food that goes into the trash this weekend.
The food advocacy group Foodtank has compiled an excellent list of tips for a food waste-free Thanksgiving. Tops on my list will be making sure that leftovers are put away promptly. Anything that won’t be eaten within a few days will go into the freezer for future use.
Using smaller plates and letting guests serve themselves not only reduces the amount of food that gets scraped off plates and into the trash but it may actually help you from over-eating. (Here are some other tips on how to avoid overeating on Thanksgiving.)
What are your plans for reducing food waste this holiday season?