Category Archives: Household

Say it ain’t so, Joe

After a Trader Joe’s recently opened in my town, I’ve had a chance to observe the store’s practices from a wasted food perspective. Here’s what I’ve noticed: Trader Joe’s does many things well. Produce, is not one of them. My main complaint is that the grocery chain encourages waste the same way CostCo or Sam’s Club […]

December 4, 2007 | Also posted in Supermarket | Comments closed

What’s at Stake

‘I waste food, so what?’ That’s one reaction I get when I tell people that I’m researching food waste. Countering that argument from a logical perspective can be difficult, as I have a gut reaction against squandering (as do many people). On that logical path, limiting food waste matters because farming and freight uses oil, water, time and money, pollutes […]

November 28, 2007 | Also posted in Hunger, Stats | Comments closed

Thanksgiving Tips

Happy Turkey Day! After re-reading my Culinate article, I thought, ‘Man, I sound like a curmudgeon.’ Then a friend jokingly asked if I’d be fasting on Thanksgiving. So, I’ll be clear: I love Thanksgiving. I enjoy both eating great food and spending time with my family. Please pass the stuffing, Grandma. I just hope that on Thanksgiving, with its food […]

November 22, 2007 | Also posted in History and Culture | Comments closed

The Weekly Waste Word: Use by the Apocalypse

At the beginning of most weeks, I give tips on how to avoid wasting food. Today we’ll talk about when “best before” or “use by” dates can be ignored.  My legal team advises me here that I should stipulate that I’m not a trained food scientist. True, but there are times when use-by dates are just silly. This […]

November 19, 2007 | Also posted in College, The Weekly Waste Word | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

From Reed College to the National Review, we’re really spanning the political spectrum this week. The conservative magazine has pretty fair article on how the Federal School Lunch Program wastes food and money. Wasted food costs the government $600 million every year, with fruits and vegetables accounting for 42 percent of that waste. This G.A.O. report supplies […]

November 16, 2007 | Also posted in College, Friday Buffet, School, Stats | Comments closed

Q & A: Ted Lee

I recently discovered, to my delight, that wasted food isn’t a subject only cranky bloggers (ahem) find interesting. It seems that Ted Lee, the bespectacled half of the Lee Brothers’ Boiled Peanut empire (and catalogue), thinks about minimizing food waste fairly often. He was kind enough to speak with me about the topic. You’ve likely […]

November 15, 2007 | Also posted in Q & A | Comments closed

Sneaky Supermarkets

Avoiding household food waste starts in the supermarket. While our big eyes and tempted taste buds are partly to blame, stores are adept at inducing excess spending. Since we waste, on average, a quarter of what we bring home, it makes sense to rethink our shopping habits. Along those lines, this challenging quiz will keep you on […]

November 6, 2007 | Also posted in Supermarket | Comments closed

The Weekly Waste Word: Leftover Love

Britain is going food waste wild. From England to Scotland to Northern Ireland to Scotland again and again, food waste is in the news. This is mostly due to the recently released statistic that Britons waste one third of the food they buy. This factoid comes from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) that I’m told is a […]

November 5, 2007 | Also posted in The Weekly Waste Word | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Some Britons have called for a return to World War II era values. Hmm. If that means being more careful with our food, I’m all for it. If it means eating more bubble and squeak–pass. — — Random food waste note of the week: Weddings in Kyrgyzstan avoid food waste by making sure leftovers are split amongst attendees. […]

November 2, 2007 | Also posted in Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Keepin’ it Fresh

Last week, the kind people at Oliso sent me a Frisper Freshkeeper to test. What the heck is that, you ask? Why, it’s a vacuum food sealer of course.  Basically, it’s a home version of the machines that vacuum pack meats, seafood and other food items. The Freshkeeper comes with ziplock-like bags into which you […]

October 30, 2007 | Also posted in Technology | Comments closed