Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links which means I earn from qualifying purchases. I recommend these products either because I use them or because companies that make them are trustworthy and useful.

In the U.S., we waste 40% of our food, costing $218 billion dollars a year. At the same time, food insecurity rates are at an all-time high, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the USDA, 30 million adults and 12 million children may not always have access to the food they need.

In this episode, I’m talking with Urvashi Rangan, PhD, an environmental health scientist, toxicologist, and investigator, and Chief Science Advisor to the Grace Communications Foundation about the drivers of food waste in the U.S., COVID-19’s impact and lessons learned, and how solving for food waste can improve food insecurity rates. We also talk about how to reduce food waste at home, how to cook sustainably,  as well as composting, upcycled foods, and more. 

New episodes post on Tuesday. Subscribe today so you never miss the latest news and practical insight for raising healthy families and creating change in the U.S. 

Be sure to sign up for the free video course, Turn Your Picky Eaters Into Little Foodies: https://www.julierevelant.com/free-video-email-course/.

Welcome 

2:34 What’s the difference between food waste and food loss?

4:20 What are the reasons for food waste and food loss? 

10:44 Twenty-nine million adults are struggling with food insecurity. In what ways can reducing food waste decrease food insecurity?

13:04 At the beginning of the pandemic, what were the issues the U.S. faced at every level when it came to the supply chain? 

21:29 Did the supply chain issues contribute to food waste?

25:37 In the beginning, high rates of meat plant workers were getting COVID-19—has this been solved? 

29:08 Have our shopping habits during COVID-19 affected rates of food waste? How can we reduce food waste at home?

33:16 What does cooking sustainability mean and what are tips for families?

37:34 How can composting be really easy for people?

43:16 How can you reduce food waste with herbs and zesting?

45:53 For parents feeding babies and young children, what are some ways for them to reduce food waste?

49:45 What are upcycled foods? 

51:46 Where can listeners go to get more information about these food issues?

LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW

FoodPrint.org 

FoodPrint’s Seasonal Food Guide

ReFED.com

Walden Local 

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

The Dinner Daily review

The Dinner Daily is a one-of-a-kind, weekly, personalized dinner planning service that makes getting dinner on the table every night easy and affordable for busy families. 

Founded by a working mom of 3, The Dinner Daily answers the “what’s for dinner” question, helps families eat healthy, and save money and time. 

Members receive complete meal plans and an organized grocery shopping list customized according to their food preferences, dietary needs, family size, and weekly specials at more than 16,000 grocery stores across the U.S. to help them save money. 

Meal plans can be customized for gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, heart-healthy, and more. The service also provides one-click ordering at Kroger stores nationwide and select Stop & Shop stores in the Northeast. 

The Dinner Daily has been featured in Rachael Ray Every Day and Working Mother magazines. 

Memberships are as low as $4/a month and new members get a free, 2-week trial. Go to TheDinnerDaily.com and use code “HEALTH15” to receive 15% off. 

Food Issues
Food Issues
Julie Revelant

With hundreds of thousands of Americans dying each year from obesity, type-2 diabetes, and a slew of chronic health conditions—all a direct result of food inequities, a broken food culture, and food marketing, and worsened by COVID-19, a significant shift in how we think about food and how we feed our kids must happen now if we want to change the trajectory of health for our kids. Food Issues hosted by health journalist and blogger Julie Revelant features interviews with authors, researchers, healthy food advocates, and thought leaders who want to educate, inspire, and empower organizations, parents, and local communities to create real, lasting change and ensure a healthier future for our kids. Through profound conversations that uncover the real issues affecting families coupled with easy, practical tips for parents, this podcast is the place to change our kids’ futures.

Author Details
Julie Revelant teaches parents how to raise children who are healthy, adventurous eaters. Through blog posts and videos, her goal is to shift the conversation from short-term, problem picky eating to lifelong, healthy eating and healthy futures. Julie has written for FoxNews.com, FIRST for Women magazine, WhatToExpect.com, EverydayHealth.com, RD.com, TheBump.com, Care.com, and Babble.com.