Healthy Diets Might Create More Food Waste

Higher-quality diets are associated with higher levels of food waste, according to a study by researchers at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, University of Vermont and the University of New Hampshire

This study also finds healthy diets led to more waste in irrigation water and use of pesticides because both of these factors are used at higher rates to grow fruits and vegetables.

So how do we reconcile that people who are looking to eat a healthier diet also presumably care more about the environment, sustainability and food waste? 

For the study, the researchers analyzed 22 food groups. They found that 39% of fruits, vegetables, and mixed fruit and vegetable dishes are being thrown away. In comparison, only 17% of dairy food was wasted, while only 14% of meat and mixed meat dishes were wasted. 

From 2007 to 2014, U.S. consumers wasted approximately 150,000 tons of food per day, or about 1 pound of food per person each day. The study, published in PLOS ONE, said this figure corresponds roughly to 30% of the average daily calories consumed for every American. 

While the study warns about the food waste and the impact it may bring to the environment, it also highlights that low-quality diets that produce less food waste, on the other hand, come with negative health impacts.

Related:Should Supermarkets Be Mandated to Donate Food Waste?