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On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million Americans coast to coast participated in Earth Day celebrations. The organizers of Earth Day 1970 channeled the vibrant energy of that era into a movement, one that saw Americans take to the streets, parks and auditoriums in massive rallies to demonstrate for a healthy sustainable environment.

That first Earth Day ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. To celebrate Earth Day 2016, the EPA has selected food recovery as its focus.

The amount of food we throw away each year is staggering. According to the EPA, wasted food on average costs a family of four about $1,600 a year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that Americans waste more than one-third of the vegetables and fruit we buy. In 2013, we generated more than 37 million tons of food waste, with only 5 percent diverted into composting. More food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in our everyday trash.

Clearly, such wasted food is a problem, especially when you consider that 48 million Americans - of which 16 million are children - live in what are categorized as food-insecure households. In 2013 alone, more than 14 percent of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during the year.

That's why the EPA's theme for Earth Day 2016 is "Food: Too Good To Waste." Research shows that most of us waste more than we think we actually do. But we can make some simple small shifts in how we shop for, prepare and store food to save time and money.

Wasted food also wastes the water, gasoline, energy, labor, pesticides, land and fertilizers used to make our food. When we throw it in the trash, we're throwing away much more than food.

The Food: Too Good to Waste Challenge is one way to figure out how much food is wasted in our homes and what we can do lessen this waste. Although my personal food management mode is usually "I get hungry, I plan meals," here are some changes I'm going to make:

To create a grocery list with meals in mind, leaving flexibility for what's local and in season, and to buy no more than I expect to use for a week's worth of meals.

To shop my kitchen first for what I already have on hand. I've always been known as a resourceful cook, so this could be fun.

To prepare my perishables right after shopping, such as washing, chopping, slicing vegetables and storing in the fridge. Not my strong suit, but I'm willing to give it a try.

And perhaps my biggest change: to eat what needs eating first. That bag of salad looks good in the store, but too often finds itself rotting behind the orange juice and cottage cheese. I'm going to put food that's likely to spoil first on a special shelf.

By making small changes in our food management behaviors, we can have a significant impact, for ourselves and for our environment and our communities.

Will you join me?

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/?branding=15