TIP OF THE WEEK

WAYS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD

The average American household spends about $7,000 on groceries per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but more than a third of those groceries will end up in the waste basket, according to a new study. Although the results were similar to previous studies, researchers at Penn State recently found that the average U.S. household wastes 31.9% of its food, costing an estimated $240 billion.

Researchers also found that higher-income households with healthier diets wasted more food than lower-income families. Although an estimated 72 billion pounds of food is thrown out before it ends up in a household refrigerator, reducing food waste at home can save you money, reduces methane emissions, conserves energy and resources, and can help support the hungry in your community.

Here are a few ways the Environmental Protection Agency recommends reducing food waste.

• Keep a running list of meals and their ingredients

• Base shopping list on how many meals you’ll eat at home

• Plan meals for the week before shopping

• Check the refrigerator before shopping to avoid duplicating ingredients

• Buy only what you need

• Freeze, preserve or can surplus fruits and vegetables

• Wait to wash berries until you want to eat them

• Cook or eat what you already have before buying more

• Produce past its prime can be used in soups, casseroles, stir fires, sauces, baked goods, pancakes or smoothies

• Plan an “eat the leftovers” night each week

DRINK

TEEN COFFEE CONSUMPTION ON THE RISE

According to a study conducted by the National Coffee Association, the percentage of Americans ages 13 to 18 who drink coffee every day rose to 37% from 2014 to 2017. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids ages 12 to 18 consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine per day, which is about the amount in a single 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee.