Simple Solutions Against Food Waste
First of all what is food waste? On a small scale, it starts in our kitchens, it is all the perishable food that is intended to feed us, that we take care to choose to vary our meals and that for lack of having been used in time ends up in the garbage.
On a large scale, this "waste" is revealed all along the production chain, that is to say in the field, during transportation, during processing, at the grocery store, at the restaurant, at the hotel and as I said, at home. Food waste affects all categories of food with a limited shelf life. For example, in Canada, we are talking about fruits and vegetables, leftovers after a meal, fish and meat, bakery products including bread, eggs and dairy products including cheese.
Simple solutions against food waste: some figures
Figures confirm that in Canada, an estimated 35.5 million tons of food waste is thrown away along the food chain, from field to plate. Fruits and vegetables top the list.
In addition, it is reported that 63% of the food thrown away from Canadian households could have been consumed. This means that each family wastes an average of 140 kilograms per year, which corresponds to about $1100 less in our wallet.
Other important facts
- Considering all the food prepared by a paid person that will end up in the garbage, it is a waste of time, energy and money.
- The composting garbage can option leaves us a little less guilty, but complicit in mismanagement since there is still food being thrown away.
- Add to that all the production of this wasted or discarded food that requires about 1/4 of all the water used in agriculture each year. Not to mention the amount of land used unnecessarily, etc..2
Green measures within your reach against food waste
- Check regularly what you have in your fridge
- Plan your menus for the week before you go grocery shopping
- Make meals with what you have in the fridge
- Stick to your grocery list
- Check the temperature of your fridge (between 0 and 4 degrees)
- If some foods are close to the expiration date, put them at the front of the fridge and eat them quickly
- Have good containers that keep your food airtight
- Write down the date of preparation and add a "best before" date
- Freeze prepared meals in individual portions
- Have small freezer containers for single-serving tomato paste (1 tbsp)
- For ripe fruit, have smoothies, or make a compote or pie or granola bars
- For old vegetables, remove the decayed parts and use them in soup
- Storing lettuce: once washed, store in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb moisture
- For mushrooms, if you keep them in a plastic container, open the top plastic or put them in a paper bag
- Buy as local and organic as possible
- Have a calendar of the availability of fruits and vegetables by month. Examples: asparagus (May, June, July), garlic, onion (all year), carrots (all year), beans (July, August, September, October), etc.
- To have real fresh vegetables during winter, make your sprouts (alfalfa, watercress, red clover, etc.) and on soil your sunflower sprouts, etc..1, 2, 3
The Happy Planet company, model of the kind
Happy Planet was founded in 1994 and is located in Vancouver. The core of the company's beginnings was the making of smoothies from natural ingredients. Through a journey of passion and perseverance, Happy Planet is now the Canadian leader in all-natural foods and beverages.
Ethically sourced superfoods are added to a wide range of delicious smoothies and juices. Environmentally committed, Happy Planet partners with farmers and merchants to source local, environmentally friendly raw materials and to minimize food waste..4, 5
In addition, Happy Planet uses the company Outcast Upcycled Nutrition, which defends the planet from food waste. Outcast Upcycled Nutrition rescues thousands of nutrient-rich fresh fruits and vegetables that were headed for the compost bin and turns them into a powder for a second life. This powder is 100% vegan, organic, gluten and soy free and has no added sugar.
Happy Planet uses this fruit and vegetable powder in its recipes for juices, smoothies and soups.2, 7
Ethical superfoods
Happy Planet looks for exclusivity in its products and it is by doing business with small family businesses throughout the world (partnership with Farafena in Mali for example), in search of special ingredients, rich in antioxidants and nutritional values like the baobab, that we taste the difference. These gestures have a greater impact than we can imagine, since they transform the destiny and health of communities of women, families and even villages..4, 5
Smoothies and soups rich in superfoods
Have you ever tried Happy Planet smoothies? There are many choices:
- Smoothie C Xtreme with Camu Camu (Brazil) and Baobab (Mali)
- Mango (Mexico) and Passion Fruit Smoothie
- Extreme Green Smoothie with Moringa (Malawi)
- etc.
Over time, some fresh soups have been added to their products. We are talking about 100% vegetable soups, soups inspired by the whole world, i.e. prepared with authentic ingredients and flavoured with herbs and spices..4, 5
Exemplary soups and super soups
Continuing with its logic of nourishing and environmentally friendly products, Happy Planet has launched a range of Eat Good super soups made with super-recycled fresh plants and vegetables. By giving a second life to these foods and superfoods, Happy Planet kills two birds with one stone: fighting against food waste and offering tasty products, rich in proteins, vitamins and benefits.
Three super soups are available for you to discover right now:
- Super soup with roasted vegetables and lentils
- Super soup with carrots, ginger and turmeric
- Super Restorative Fraser Valley Mushroom Soup
Renewable Energy Packaging
Happy Planet's goal is to have packaging that is more sustainable for the entire planet by 2025.
Soft plastics are an effective way to package food, but they are often single-use and from an environmental perspective, should be eliminated.
A solution for flexible packaging: BioFlex
BioFlex is a quality packaging with a shelf life equivalent to conventional packaging and contributes to the production of biogas after disposal in a modern landfill. The biogas produced during its decomposition is used as an energy source to power our cars and electric homes..6
A grateful planet
- Concrete actions to achieve objectives against food waste: Happy Planet would like to save 100,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables per year from food waste.
- Happy Planet is socially involved in its community and actively participates in helping the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) to prepare or serve meals in addition to providing juices or smoothies and creating a better future for everyone.
With every meal, let's eat with gratitude and awareness!
About the author
Marie Couture, Certified Naturopath
Specialized in:
- Digestive disorders
- Inflammation
- Hormonal problems
- Stress management
References