Every Year the US Lets 141 Trillion Calories of Food Go to Waste

Nearly 1/3 of the world’s food goes to waste, which is the eye-opening equivalent of 141 trillion calories every year. According to a USDA report based on the latest data from 2010, each American wastes about 1,249 calories each day, whether that be from spoiled food, leftovers or anything edible that’s thrown out.

So why should you care if you toss out that half-eaten burger? Well, wastefulness isn’t the only reason to keep an eye on your food scraps. In 2010, for example, nearly 133 billion pounds of food (or 31% of the country’s supply) went to waste. That amounts to around $161.6 billion — gone.

Back in February, we covered a breakdown of over-consumption revealing that by  2050, the average human will consume 3,070 calories a day, yet the average person requires only 2,000 calories. Yet while nearly a billion people around the world go hungry, we wasted one third of the food produced globally.

It might be hard to imagine one person can make a difference with food waste reduction. However, buying and preparing just enough food (and not overdoing it) can certainly have a positive impact on both our planet and your wallet.

H/T Consumerist