Tag: Waste reduction

A large amount of edible food is wasted each year, with many households mindlessly discarding the thick, fibrous stems of broccoli. However, this often-overlooked part of the plant is not only perfectly edible but is also a fantastic source of nutrients.

Over one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted globally each year, and the nutritious watermelon rind is a prime example of this oversight. Far from being a mere leftover, the white part of a watermelon is a treasure trove of health-boosting compounds and culinary potential, offering significant benefits often missed by those who only eat the red flesh.

According to the Recycling Council of Ontario, the average school student produces about 30 pounds of lunch waste each year, contributing significantly to landfills. The concept of a litter less lunch was developed to combat this issue, offering a simple yet powerful way for families to dramatically reduce their environmental footprint one meal at a time.

Food waste is a major problem, with an estimated 30-40% of the food supply going to waste annually in the United States. Mastering how to calculate food quantities accurately is essential for reducing waste and ensuring you have just the right amount of food for any meal or event.

According to food experts, the often-discarded white part of a watermelon rind has a surprisingly similar flavor profile to a crisp cucumber. This similarity is not a coincidence, as both belong to the same botanical family, Cucurbitaceae, which also includes pumpkins and squash.

An estimated 7.2–12 million tons of fish waste are discarded globally each year, including large quantities of scales. While we safely consume many other parts of a fish, the scales are overwhelmingly avoided by human diets for a combination of biological and culinary reasons.

An Austrian study in 2019 found that eating the core significantly increases the amount of beneficial bacteria you consume, suggesting a more complete approach to eating the whole apple. For most people, a bite-by-bite approach to eating a whole, unpeeled apple is the correct way to eat an apple to maximize nutrient intake and minimize food waste.

By one estimate, we could be ingesting up to 3.8 million microplastics annually just from commonly consumed proteins. The good news is that reducing your exposure to microplastics and learning how to eliminate plastics from your diet is entirely possible with some mindful changes to your habits.

According to the EPA, source reduction is the most preferred action in the food recovery hierarchy, offering the greatest environmental, social, and economic benefits. This framework is just one of several critical systems illustrating why food hierarchy is important, with applications ranging from ecological balance to our personal health.

Watermelon is over 90% water, making it a powerful hydrating snack during hot weather. When asking **what part of the watermelon is the healthiest?** most people focus on the juicy red flesh, but nutritional science reveals that the true answer lies in using the entire fruit, from the vibrant center to the oft-discarded rind and seeds.