Still searching for the perfect New Year’s resolution? Lettuce suggest one with a bounty of benefits: reducing food waste! Why, you ask?
It’s achievable
This year we’re all about realistic resolutions. We need little wins to make progress as we journey towards becoming a better version of ourselves. While it can be discouragingly difficult to eliminate carbs from your diet, make it to the gym five days a week, or get nine hours of sleep every night, all of us can find small ways to reduce how much food we waste. Once we commit to reducing food waste, a buffet of other benefits appears in our lives.
It will save you money
What’s the most expensive ingredient you buy? Maybe meat, organic produce, pasture-raised eggs, artisan coffee? Nope – it’s the ingredient you throw away! On average, a family of four in the U.S. throws away $4 a day, $124 a month, or a whopping $1,500 a year in wasted food. So cutting back on food waste is an easy and impactful way to create more room in your budget. Whether you’re trying to save money or invest in something, reducing food waste is a powerful first step.
It will help the environment
Saving food from going to waste also saves all of the resources that went into growing our food, including precious water, land, and fossil fuels. That’s why tackling food waste has such a positive ripple effect for our environment. Indeed, reducing food waste is the third best way to solve climate change according to research by Project Drawdown. Since over 40% of the food waste in this country happens in our homes, all of us have tremendous potential to make a difference.
It will enable you to eat better and become a better cook
When you commit to reducing waste, you conveniently commit to several other healthy kitchen habits along the way, like shopping more intentionally, cooking more often, and getting more creative in the kitchen. Since healthy fruits and vegetables are some of the most perishable items we buy, deciding to reduce waste gives you effective incentives to reach for them first. You’ll also end up cooking for yourself more often to use up your leftovers instead of eating at restaurants (which will also save you money!). Finally, to reduce waste, you inevitably end up finding creative ways to use up scraps and leftovers like veggie curries, frittatas, zucchini bread, pickles, and stocks, which teaches you to be a more adaptable cook.
Ready to reduce food waste in 2020? Share a photo of you committing to your Imperfect resolutions with us on Instagram using the hashtag #imperfectresolutions by 1/31 for a chance to win $100 in Imperfect Foods credit!
