Example_L_pledge_form.pdf

Take the Eat Smart, Waste Less Challenge

40% of food in America is wasted.

The average U.S. household never eats 20% of the food they purchase. That’s like going to the store, buying five bags of groceries and leaving one in the parking lot. For a family of four, that adds up to an average of $1500 in wasted food every year!

Wasting food wastes more than money. It also wastes the land, water, energy, and labor that goes into making the food. At the same time, one in six people living in Oregon are food insecure.

Here are 5 great ways to reduce your household’s food waste.

Try the ideas that make sense for your family:

1. Shop with meals in mind Make a list with meals in mind and only get what you think you’ll use. Try to avoid “deals” if you won’t end up eating what you buy,

2. Prep now and eat later Prepare ingredients in advance to save time, effort and money. Try cooking several meals at once and freezing the rest for a later date.

3. Keep it fresh Store fruits and vegetables where they will last the longest.

4. Eat what you buy Use up leftovers and ingredients on hand before you buy more. Create an “Eat this first” section in your fridge.

5. Measure your wasted food Measure how much food your family wastes over four weeks. You might be surprised!

Visit www.EatSmartWasteLess.com for more information.

Which strategies will you try? Check the ways you (and your family) will try to reduce your food waste.

Shop with meals in mind.

Prep now and eat later.

Keep it fresh.

Eat what you buy.

Measure your wasted food.

Households are the largest contributors to food waste in the US, followed by consumer-facing businesses like restaurants and grocery stores. By making small changes, we can all help solve the problem of food waste!

Take the Challenge! Fill out your information on this side, and check your food waste reduction strategies on the other side.

Name: Zip Code:

Email:

HOW MUCH FOOD WAS

WASTED?

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

W

EE

K

W

EE

K

W

EE

K

W

EE

K

Keep track of the food you waste for the next 4 weeks. Think about these questions:

What did you throw out? List foods that you are throwing out often:

Why was food wasted? List reasons that food was not eaten (didn’t like it, forgot about it, etc.)

How much food was wasted? Measure only food that could have been eaten, like food scraped from plates or taken out of the fridge or pantry. Do not measure what you wouldn’t have eaten, like peels or bones. Choose one of the following methods to measure wasted food and write down the total at the end of each day:

• Take a picture or make an estimate. Is it more, less, or the same as previous days?

• Use a container, like a graduated cylinder. How much food does it contain?

• Use a scale, and weigh your food each day.

Write the results in the table on the right, and put it on your refrigerator. Answer our online survey questions for the chance to win a prize!

Track your food waste