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Meanwhile, we thought you might enjoy my musings ..
Waste Not…Want Not
July, 2007
Have you ever attended a social function where food was served? Have you too, witnessed mounds of food left on paper plates or casually pitched into the trash?
I did, just recently. It was an idyllic setting and a picture perfect day for an outside celebration.
The tables were bedecked in white linens and the conversations as light and airy as the afternoon breeze. The catering staff stood armed with serving utensils and kept dipping into the bottomless aluminum bins. Eating (and talking) continued, until our neighbors reached their maximum capacity. I could not help but notice, as paper plates were being pushed away from these now sated individuals, the amount of uneaten food, mostly chunks of chicken and cattle, remaining on the plates all around me.
Me, a vegetarian and animal rights advocate.
I began to think about the animals and knew in my heart of hearts, if they had had their say they would not have agreed to endure the despicable conditions of being raised on factory farms… never seeing the light of day; chickens bred and drugged to grow so quickly that their hearts, lungs and limbs often can’t keep up; cattle deprived of exercise, sunlight and grass, so their bodies’ energy goes toward producing flesh for our consumption. Yet their uneaten remains lay right in front of me … wasted.
Animals however are not the only products we waste. According to Harper’s Index, Americans as a group waste enough food in ONE DAY to feed 240,183 people for a year. To top that off, the U.S. Department of Agriculture states Americans throw out over 11 billion pounds of fruit and vegetables a year and the Texas Cooperative Extension Agency reported “25% of edible food in the United States goes to waste”.
It does not have to be that way. I believe we are capable of significantly reducing waste if we become aware of our food sources and make a connection with our food. Be mindful of our body’s actual needs and chew each mouthful well. The more we chew, the less we need to consume. Give thought to the process and the number of hands our food has gone through to reach our plate. And please, if not only for the sake of the animals, but for the person who worked hard for the money to purchase the food, enjoy several smaller portions and finish the food on your plate. It feels so good and demonstrates great respect! |
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