As Earth Day approaches, I’d love to see families embracing dinner talk about garbage. Wasted food – uneaten on our plates, rotting in the refrigerator, thrown out by supermarkets, abandoned on farms because it’s “ugly” – is a topic that can spark lively conversation and lead to activism.
My well-intentioned mother used to try to coax me to “clean my plate,” by reminding me that there were starving children in Africa. This is not the best way to get the conversation going at your table! First of all, the advice to join the “clean plate club” is ill-advised: it may mean that children overeat, rather than paying attention to when they feel full. And, unless you are prepared to send uneaten food to needy people, the connection between your child’s plate and starving children far away is pretty shaky.
So, here’s a better way…
See Dr. Fishel’s tips on helping your family to better understand the impact of food waste on the environment, plus 8 smart ways to take action at the dinner table, on The Family Dinner Project.
Home for Dinner 