Newswise — CHICAGO – The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to “Go Further with Food” by storing food correctly to reduce waste and lower your grocery bill during National Nutrition Month® in March.
Registered dietitian nutritionists are uniquely qualified to help reduce food loss and waste by individuals, families, communities and businesses. About 31 percent of all edible food is wasted in the U.S., and American households throw away nearly 28 percent of fruits and vegetables.
“Far too often, good food goes bad before we get the chance to eat it,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Melissa Majumdar. “Before going to the grocery store, check inside your refrigerator. Eat what you already have at home before buying more.”
Majumdar suggests freezing extra food, such as fruits or meats to extend shelf life, and wrapping freezer items in heavy freezer paper, plastic wrap, freezer bags or foil.
“To reduce waste, also date all frozen items and use the oldest food first,” Majumdar says.
Knowing how to read a date label is also key to making sure good food isn’t wasted. The “sell by” date lets the store know when it should stop selling a package to manage inventory; “best if used by” is the last date recommended for the customer’s use of a product at its peak quality.
“Although it’s important to try to use food you’ve bought, if you have any doubts about it being safe to eat, throw it away,” Majumdar says.
As part of National Nutrition Month, the Academy’s website includes articles, recipes, videos and educational resources to spread the message of good nutrition and the importance of an overall healthy lifestyle for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Consumers can also follow National Nutrition Month on the Academy’s social media channels including Facebook and Twitter using #NationalNutritionMonth.
As a founding member of Further with Food Center for Food Loss and Waste Solutions, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is committed to cutting food loss and waste in the United States in half by 2030. Visit https://furtherwithfood.org/resources/ for great tools and resources.
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All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian nutritionist” (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the public’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.
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