According to the United Nations, about 40 percent of food we buy in the United States is wasted.

Much of the waste comes from over-purchasing at the household level.

This food waste has worldwide consequences and is the third largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions once you examine the global carbon footprint.

The best foods you can eat are the freshest: meat, dairy, fish and produce. They’re also the most perishable. These are precious resources.

Wasted food also means wasted water. A single head of broccoli in the garbage flushes away 5.4 gallons of water used to grow that broccoli. Wasting 40 percent of a holiday meal for eight people is equivalent to all eight people running the tap for two hours.

Food date labeling is contributing to food waste. Congress is trying to bring uniformity to the labeling so consumers don’t throw good food away prematurely.

What You Can Do Today

Learn more about food waste by visiting Natural Resources Defense Council and ReFed.

Listen in as John Mandyck joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how to decrease food waste.