Reasons to avoid wasting food

Hunger is not something unknown to any of us. We need food when we are hungry and are not able to focus on any of our tasks if we starve ourselves during a hunger spike. Though we can sometimes manage to complete what we do before we have our meal, it’s not easy to stay without food for long hours when you feel hungry.

Our body uses the stored fats and proteins(muscle) to survive when we starve. We need proper nutrition to stay healthy and carry out our daily work. Food is a blessing, that cannot be replaced by anything in the world. Do we give a thought to it when we eat? if not, we must start reminding ourselves and our children about how much effort, hard work, and time goes into producing the food that we have on our plate.

“Respect for food is a respect for life, for who we are and what we do” is a quote by Thomas Keller, that reflects on what value food holds in the life of all human beings, for every one of us is responsible to educate the next generation about respecting food and not taking it for granted. Merely talking about the matter to our children is not going to be effective as they tend to emulate us and observe our actions. We must focus on our actions and be role models so that the next generation remembers that food is a basic need for all people and we have no right to waste it.

Here are some ways to reduce food waste:

• Store food the right way it is to be stored, so that you avoid food spoilage and contamination.
• The food which requires refrigeration should be kept in the refrigerator when not consumed.
• Remember to keep food in closed and clean containers.
• Avoiding purchasing large amounts of food, if you cannot eat all of it. Instead of thowing it away later on, it is better not to purchase in bulk amount.
• When eating out, order only what you can consume and not a bigger quantity that will get wasted.
• Make a list prior to shopping, to avoid buying what you don’t need.
• Use perishable items before spoilage. Planning a menu is the best way.

Let us not forget that food is precious to be wasted. There are labour, effort, and resources that go into producing and transporting food. Let us make ‘respect for food’, our way of life, for our children to learn, and as our responsibility towards the millions who do not have enough food to eat.