Have you ever wondered how you can join KinoSol’s mission toward reducing food waste? One-third of global food is lost or wasted, and you want to join the fight to reduce it. The good news is, you can make a difference right in your own backyard. Keep reading to find out how you can reduce food waste while dining out!
Restaurant Food Waste
Picture this: You and your family are out to eat at your favorite restaurant. The server brings you a menu with seemingly endless choices. You order your go-to favorite. After great food and conversation, you pay the bill and walk out the doors of the restaurant. The second you open your car door, you realize you are stuffed! You know you overate, but even still, there was food left on your plate. Because you are a fan of KinoSol and follow their efforts to reduce food waste globally, you feel a pang of guilt for that food loss.
The huge issue of food waste is especially prominent in restaurants. Unfortunately, food left on patrons’ plates (post-consumer waste) is not the only food that gets wasted. Edible food disappears on two fronts; “pre-consumer” and “post-consumer.” The pre-consumer waste is food that never leaves the kitchen. Visually unappealing or over-ordered food becomes the biggest contributors to pre-consumer food waste. Lengthy menus are yet another culprit because having lots of options means an abundance of food is stocked. Since not every menu item gets ordered every day, unordered foods go to waste. Post-consumer waste comes from oversized portions. Customers cannot finish all their food and do not save their leftovers.
Remember that bill you paid in the previous scenario? If you take wasted food out of the equation, it would be much lower. Your bill includes your meal and the food that went bad. Not only does food waste harm the environment, but it cuts into restaurants’ profits and your paycheck.
Your Turn to Reduce Food Waste while Dining Out
- Take home leftovers! Environmental resources produced that delicious meal, and besides, you already paid for it!
- If a restaurant is out of a certain item, instead of getting snarly with the server, thank them for not over-ordering ingredients.
- Encourage the owners of your favorite restaurant to donate surplus food rather than sending it to a landfill.
- Show your support of food waste-conscious businesses by eating at restaurants that make use of “ugly” foods or those that repurpose excess ingredients.
An Interesting Approach to Dining Out
KinoSol met a group of Brazilian founders who jokingly called themselves the “Vulture Kings.” While this group was out at restaurants, they would enjoy ordering appetizers. As they dined, they kept an eye on surrounding tables. When a nearby party left the restaurant, the group swiftly moved to that vacant table. Here, they would enjoy the food previous customers were leaving behind. They received weird looks, but it was worth it. They were being fed inexpensively, and most importantly, they were reducing food waste!
So maybe becoming a “vulture king” is not your cup of tea. We understand that, but please take a moment to think about how you can reduce food waste while dining out. And don’t forget to check back next week to read our newest blog post!
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