“Food waste is a huge issue here,” says Heidi Brousseau, a manager in the Dining Hall. “We try to handle it the best way we can, but we can’t do it all by ourselves. We need the students to cooperate with us.”
It has been scientifically proven that if you eat fast, then you will eat more. It takes a while for the food to reach the stomach. “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” This quote really explains the issue of food waste in the dining hall. People take more food than they can possibly eat.
Brousseau stated that there were two types of waste: pre-consumer waste and post consumer waste. Pre-consumer waste is the waste the staff makes while preparing food. “The pre-consumer waste is handled very well. It directly goes to a farmer in New Hampshire,” said Brousseau. Post-consumer waste is the huge issue. Post-consumer waste is basically the food that’s left over on people’s plates. What they do with the pre consumer waste is pulverize it. “During regular session, waste-controlling is better.” said Brousseau.
Lunch is the meal that wastes the most food. More people come in during lunch to the dining hall. The more people who come in, the more food wasted. The dining hall has a machine that absorbs the oil out of the food that is wasted. That oil is given away and is reused as biofuel.
“Every year, the number of students attending the summer school increases,” says Brousseau. “This causes more food to be wasted every year. Compared to previous years, more food is wasted this year. During regular session, when students go elsewhere for their break, the food that is left goes to a food bank in New Hampshire.”
Everyone knows the feeling of being very hungry. At that point, you feel like you can eat everything. With that feeling, you take a lot of food. You end up getting twice the actual amount you could eat. Half of the food you thought you were going to eat, ends up as waste.
Students! When you are full, do you ever think about what’s going to happen with the amount of food you have left over? Do you ever think about the children who would do anything to eat that food you have left over? Every 15 seconds, a child dies of hunger. Think about them and stop wasting food. Get the amount of food that you can possibly eat. Instead of putting big portions of food on your plate, start off with small portions. That way, you don’t waste as much food. Do a favor for yourself, and for the school; stop wasting food!