So much wasted food

debodun

debodun

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Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I thought since I am a baby boomer, it was just my generation that was taught not to waste food ("You know there are starving children that would love to have that!"). At the last local senior's meeting we went on a field trip to a buffet luncheon. I saw people my own age (and older) pile up their plates, take a few bites, then push their mounded plates away. Why do they take so much if they know that get full that fast?
 

Actually a simple answer...…….they don't care. They will tell you, "we bought the food and it's up to us what we eat, don't eat and toss it and many would also add "why don't you mind your own business."

Wife and I see this "waste" way to often in restaurants we go to. We see parents ordering breakfast for their young kids. The kids take a few bites and that's it. No "doggy bag" is asked for, the leftover food is simply tossed.

We never/ever leave food behind in a restaurant. Take it with us and eat it for next days lunch. Sometimes we will order one meal and share it. That's what we do at a restaurant we go to for Fish & Chips. The order is big enough for both of us.
 
Statistics show that about 40% of the food in the U.S. is wasted....in one way or another. As a nation, we toss enough food each year to sustain well over 100 million people nicely.
 

I think that most food is discarded by restaurants due to liability.. I see most dumpsters are compactors and fenced in..
 
I have seen this waste also. We go to buffets occasionally and it is disgusting to see how people load up their plates and leave most of it to be thrown out. A few years back I read about some food stores spraying their garbage bins so the homeless people can't even eat that. It's bad enough they have to scrounge through the garbage for food and then to purposely make it uneatable is outrageous. I'm not sure if they still do this. I've seen stores that give the excess or outdated food to shelters and it is amazing what good soups and stews can be made from it.
 
The local food store sometimes sends over what they termed "day-old" bread to the senior center to be given away. I suspect some of it was more than a day old. Some of the baguettes you could use to pound a nail into wood. I think donated food doesn't have to be "same-day", but it should be edible.
 
ClassicRockr said:
Actually a simple answer...…….they don't care. They will tell you, "we bought the food and it's up to us what we eat, don't eat and toss it and many would also add "why don't you mind your own business."

Wife and I see this "waste" way to often in restaurants we go to. We see parents ordering breakfast for their young kids. The kids take a few bites and that's it. No "doggy bag" is asked for, the leftover food is simply tossed.

We never/ever leave food behind in a restaurant. Take it with us and eat it for next days lunch. Sometimes we will order one meal and share it. That's what we do at a restaurant we go to for Fish & Chips. The order is big enough for both of us.
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Same here Cody. We don't waste any food at home either.
 
I look at it this way.

Once the food is prepared, whether it's eaten or not makes no difference in the total consumption.

So for me I try to prepare only as much as I can eat at a meal because I hate throwing food away and I hate leftovers that get thrown out eventually anyway.

I do wish restaurants had smaller portions for us seniors.
 

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