By Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension, Lucas County
The Truth Contributor
While the memory of Home Economics is often cooking and sewing, the field of work has always been much broader than those two important topics. Today, in the USA, the field is often called Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) and it covers topics like financial literacy, planning the household budget, healthy relationships including childhood and human development, food and nutrition, food safety, preparing for careers, balancing work and family, mindfulness and overall health and wellbeing.
Globally, there is a professional organization called the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHC), and they have a 2025 theme of Tackling Overconsumption. I like the idea of a global theme and the opportunity to know how I can make small, impactful changes right in my small area of the world.
The IFAC warns that humans, “use more resources than the Earth can provide and often more than is good for us. This overconsumption leads to health and financial problems, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution”. On a personal level, overconsumption can cause health and financial challenges. For example, overconsumption can strain a household budget, excess purchases can lead to waste and more trash, and overeating can contribute to obesity and related health issues.
To lower consumption and cost of food, plan your shopping. The time invested in planning and using a grocery shopping list usually helps households save money. While in your kitchen check a few things. First, is there food in the cabinet, fridge or freezer that can be used instead of buying more? Also, check the garbage can. Make note of what types of foods you are often throwing out. If it’s often the same foods, eat them sooner or buy less of them. Or are there small amounts of food that could be used instead of thrown out?
Not surprising, sone tips for Earth Day and every day are to carry reusable items when possible. Two common examples that can help reduce waste and cost are reusable bags and refillable water or drink bottles. If you must use plastic bags, find ways to reuse them such as lining small wastebaskets or use with smelly items before throwing in the larger wastebasket.
3Rs, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are often used to describe items like glass, plastic, cardboard and cans, but it can also be applied food. The recommendations for the 3Rs of food include budgeting, meal planning, making thoughtful purchases, and enjoying all the food. The following recommendations have been adapted from University of Nebraska Extension.
Reduce the amount of food thrown away. If at home, serve smaller portions of food. You can always go back for more if needed. At restaurants with large servings, ask for a take-home container (or bring your own reusable one) to bring extras home. At the store or farmers market, do not shy away from fresh produce that doesn’t look “perfect”. Maybe the shoulder of the fruit didn’t ripen to the same color or maybe the size of the produce is not as “standard” as the others. If the produce is not bruised or damaged, this produce often be purchased at a lower price. They provide the same nutritional benefits as their ‘perfect-looking’ counterparts.
Reuse leftover food by planning to serve it again within two days or freezing for future use. Some people like to put it in single serving containers to bring to work or school. Be sure to label and date your container. Are you making a recipe and have left-over onions, peppers, or fresh herbs? Chop them up and freeze them. Label and date the freezer container and pull it out the next time you need those ingredients for cooking.
Recycle leftovers into a different meal; for example – leftover roasted chicken or cooked beans and lentils can be turned into chicken or bean salad, soup, casseroles or tacos. If you have several foods that might go to waste at the same time, try adding them to such adaptable recipes like those listed above. Plan a meal of the week where you have small portions or a plate of “samples” of the food left from previous meals.
In addition to the 3Rs, extra food scraps can be composted for the garden. Not only can you compost for your own garden, but the food scraps can also be dropped off to the food compost at bins at the following Toledo Metroparks: Swan Creek Preserve Metropark (4659 Airport Highway, Toledo, Ohio 43615), Glass City Metropark (901 Front Street, Toledo, Ohio 43605), and Toledo Botanical Garden Metropark (5434 West Bancroft Street, Toledo, Ohio 43615).
If all these ideas together seem overwhelming, choose one or two to work on for this month. Then add another one or two next month. Keep adding new practices until you are doing all of them. Hopefully you will see extra grocery dollars adding up as you cut back on waste! While changes must happen on a global and national scale, what key areas for change can we apply to our food choices, for personal benefits as well as benefitting our planet?