08/26/2026
Did you know the U.S. wastes an estimated 30% to 40% of its entire food supply each year, according to the USDA? 😮 This equals roughly 100 to 130 billion pounds (or over 66 million tons) of food thrown away annually. Each American wastes about one pound of food every single day. This wasted food costs the country hundreds of billions of dollars a year, with an average family of four losing roughly $1,500 to $2,900 annually on food they never eat.
This both baffles and annoys me, because I was raised in a home where we never really knew if we were going to have groceries let alone a meal. Leftovers were rarely, if ever, thrown away.
Did you also know that you can eat watermelon rind? I did, but have never tried it. We're going to now. This past weekend I started a pickled rind ferment, and made a stunning (and delicious) watermelon rind jam with no pectin, very little sugar, a couple tablespoons of rum and homemade vanilla extract! 😋 I juiced the fruit and added fresh basil 🌱 for a scrumptious summertime drink.
Share the ways your family tries to reduce food waste. I'd love to hear your ideas!
