I DVR’d the Food Network’s “The Big Waste,” which aired Sunday night. And, because I have a baby blanket to finish ASAP, I watched it last night as I sat crocheting.
And, it made me mad.
The concept: Chefs Bobby Flay and Michael Symon team up against Chefs Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli to scour New York and find food that is destined for the trash heap to cook a gourmet meal for 100 people. Two teams, four courses, all made from stuff that was rejected by grocers. But mostly, rejected by consumers.
It turns out, as consumers, we’ve been trained to believe that the slightest blemish on something means it is no good (there’s probably further commentary in there about how this affects how we treat people). That it’s not consumable. I can’t remember all the numbers presented in the show, but what I took away from it was we waste as much as we buy. In many instances, the food can’t be given to charitable organizations/food banks because of standards they also have.
Here is why it made me mad. We are a country with an obesity problem in the midst of tough economic times where people have to choose between food and medicine and shelter.
I know that I can go to a grocery store and spend about $70 on produce alone (and that for a single person) when I’m eating super healthfully.
How great would it be to be able to buy some of that rejected food for half-off?
I have friends who want to eat more healthfully but it is expensive, sometimes too expensive, for them to do so. So, they find themselves turning to processed foods that can be stretched a little further and bought significantly cheaper.
But, what if consumers and grocers could come together and agree that those slightly blemished fruits and veggies can go on the shelf and be sold at a deep discount? Then, perhaps more of us could afford to eat better and not have to make tough choices.
I hope something comes of the show, that there is follow up.
If you’re interested in watching it, it airs again Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. and Jan. 15 at 5 p.m.
[...] more expensive to eat this way, fruits and veggies aren’t cheap (see my rant on that here), but in the long run, if it reduces my weight, my cholesterol and my blood pressure then [...]