How in the world can we justify being number one in this? Why are we so wasteful?
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (43519)
May 7, 2025 3:08pm CST
A few months ago, I was reading a story about food insecurity/food waste, etc. Some of it was shocking and to be honest, I was ashamed--of us, in the United States. There is absolutely NO reason for us to be the number one country in the world for wasting food. Think about it. We waste more food than all other countries! I find that so shameful and downright embarrassing.
From AI and several sources--
''Food insecurity, defined as limited or uncertain access to enough food, affects a significant portion of U.S. households. In 2023, 13.5% of households experienced food insecurity, meaning they struggled to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all members. This translates to 18 million households facing this challenge. ''
Yet with all that waste we generate, we have a massive amount of food insecurity in our country. And we keep wasting...more and more. Of course we do have to factor in that restaurants waste an incredible amount of food, not just households. But still...the problem persists, and people keep tossing out their leftovers and being wasteful.
Here is a list of our top states that have major food insecurity issues:
Arkansas 18.9%
Texas 16.9%
Louisiana: 16.2%
Mississippi: 16.2%
Oklahoma 15.4%
Kentucky 14.5%
South Carolina: 14.4%
West Virginia 13.7%
Wyoming 13.1%
Michigan 13%
Those numbers represent a LOT of people going hungry.
Why are we, as a nation, wasting so much food? 120 BILLION pounds of food, wasted every year.
We all really need to make a better effort not to waste food, when there are people literally starving. If you have it and you can't eat it, share it with someone who needs it or wants it. Donate it if it's something unopened. Do something with it--change it up into another meal, be creative!
At this point in the stage the world is in, every little bit to help yourself or someone else, matters very much. As the old saying goes, ''Be the change you wish to see'' and I feel it's come down to just that.
Pixabay picture
19 people like this
17 responses
@NJChicaa (122714)
• United States
7 May
@MarieCoyle oh yes she definitely would welcome anything I brought to her. She is on the other side of the building though so I normally just share with my work BFF and another bio teacher near me. I did bring her fruit salad yesterday though and she was thrilled.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
7 May
I think it’s wonderful that you share so much with others. And doesn’t your single teacher friend have 3 or 4 kids? That would take care of any leftovers!
3 people like this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
7 May
It’s one of the reasons I appreciate the church that comes around my apartment complex once a month with brown bagged lunches. They ask how many are in your household, and give you the corresponding amount of bagged lunches.
I do have to say sometimes I offer my neighbors extra food I have, and if they don’t know me well they do decline. It’s hard to get people to trust you nowadays unless they are really sure about you. I had someone offer me food before, but I had seen the state of their kitchen, and I didn’t trust any food that came out of it. I mean it could have been fruit protected by a peel and I wouldn’t have touched it.
4 people like this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
23h
@MarieCoyle Girl, I’d be lining up for your leftovers!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
I can understand being leery of other's kitchen's, especially if you've seen the kitchen! I do have my two frail and elderly neighbors, Dale and Pete. If we for some reason have more than we can eat and can't freeze it, I take it to them. But they do like my homemade soups, so I usually take that to them anyway.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
@AmbiePam
You are welcome anytime, Amber. I would be honored to cook for you. 
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (77472)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23h
I can understand what you're saying. I can understand restaurants doing it, because of health and safety codes. But, we have a lot of non-parishable products in this world that can be donated. Hell, our city is doing a food drive.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (77472)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22h
@MarieCoyle It's one way to put unused food to good use.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
Yes, I often see food drives here as well. If it helps, and people have extra, it's a very nice thing to do.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (147435)
• United States
8 May
I wonder if that's really true. Anything you get from AI may be made up information.
As long as a person has an address, then they can apply for and receive food stamps which is enough money to pay for food... Unemployed and low wage earners can get free food.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (147435)
• United States
20h
@MarieCoyle So you don't know if the numbers are correct or not.
There are a LOT of foods that don't need to be cooked.
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
After watching that show (can't remember the name of it now!) it pretty much became very clear that Americans in general waste a LOT of foods.
Yes...some of the homeless struggle as they have no legal address. Still more have no way to cook food. Everyone seems to have their own struggles.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
20h
@DaddyEvil
I did some research before I made this post. Many of the sites based their facts on 2023, and I had to search for 2024 and 2025. I used a total of three sites, I try hard to be factual and not post things that aren't true, DE.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (84651)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 May
I really don't know but can only speak for myself, If I have leftovers I share with an oppossum. Usually I never have too much food so I try to eat as much as I can.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (84651)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4h
@MarieCoyle if you want a chuckle then sometimes the scene at night is the opossum having eaten all I gave him and standing on my porch looking sad. If I possibly can I open the door and toss out a hot dog and shut the door and he is ecstatic like probably thinks the hot dog fell from heaven 
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
How sweet of you to share with the oppossum. I am sure he appreciates it!
1 person likes this
@sallypup (64150)
• Centralia, Washington
7 May
My husband and I have enough money to buy us good nutritious food. He goes to a church that provides food for the needy. Not that long ago we were given pounds and pounds of dry beans from the food bank because they are not wanted and are not being used. It takes a stove and electricity to cook those beans so maybe that is part of their issue.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
That is a problem in my area, too. If something requires real cooking, the item is not wanted. They want canned, cooked beans, and the rice that's already cooked in those pouches so they can zap the bag it comes in. When I helped in the food banks, people would say, I can't cook rice/beans I don't know how. Now come on...it's not difficult to cook a pot of rice! And beans are so, so easy. But they never learned and I guess they don't want to, now. Kind of sad.
And like you said, maybe they have no stove or power, we have no idea.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (64150)
• Centralia, Washington
22h
@MarieCoyle I agree. Making a pancake supper is easy- IF you already have the ingredients as staples in your cupboard AND you have a cupboard and kitchen and paid for power. I don't buy mixes of any sort but I do have the ability to store basics. I don't buy syrups either. Its molasses or honey at my house or applesauce and home peanut butter for protein.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
22h
@sallypup
You and I are the from scratch gals here, plus a few others. I don't buy mixes either. If I want cornbread, that's what the corn meal is for. If I want to bake, I keep the things needed to bake. I store the basics, too. But if we couldn't cook at home for reasons mentioned, I can't see how it would ever be easy to eat every day and stay alive...eating out every day, especially for those who do not have the money to do that, isn't a feasible option.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (188970)
• United States
11h
I think some restaurants do partake in re using apps and such, but they really need to be better. In this area most grocery stores give unsold items to various food banks It is called Feed more
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
16m
Restaurants and grocery stores are way better than they used to be in donating rather than just tossing food in the trash.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (53332)
• Canada
7 May
I am sorry that the US ranks highest on this particular list.
Hopefully people will become more conscious of where their foods come from, and how much it costs and then waste less and learn to make leftovers from what they have.
Eating at home more allows for that.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
7 May
Being the world’s largest waster of food instills no pride with me, for sure. And yes, constant eating out generates a ton of waste, I agree.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (53332)
• Canada
7 May
@MarieCoyle Eating at home, I have to shop, pay for, and prepare my food before sitting down to eat it.
I have alot more invested than when I eat out.
Although, we keep leftovers from takeout too, although all we ever do is pizza-which is tomorrow night now that I think of it.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
7 May
@Juliaacv
When you make it yourself, the cost is in your head and you definitely don’t want to waste it!
@LadyDuck (473749)
• Switzerland
12h
@MarieCoyle - I make soups with vegetable I do not use and stews if I have meats that need to be cooked. I never throw food, with stale bread I make a bread pudding.
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
15h
I feel the same way. We all need to either eat what we have, or make some soup with the leftovers, our something other than just tossing it into the trash.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
It certainly isn't. If only more people would wake up and waste less, it could make a big difference.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (352562)
• Rockingham, Australia
16h
@MarieCoyle The freezer is a real godsend. If we have small amounts left over we might have them on toast for breakfast or microwave them for lunch.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
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15h
@JudyEv
The freezer helps a lot, if I have one meal left after making a meal, I put it in a divided container and label it, and then on days when we are busy, there is always a meal to heat up.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
23h
I really do try to use things up. It makes me upset to throw food away. I am thankful for my freezer, so that at times it's needed, I can freeze the excess.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (27167)
• Singapore
9h
I learnt at a young age "waste not, want not."
Gandhi was credited with your quote and I may add another from him "The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed".
We need to step-up in terms of more awareness on basic realities.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43519)
•
18m
Yes, it is credited to Mahatma Gandhi, but actually written by Arun Gandhi, according to what I looked up. Maybe they collaborated on it, we will never know for sure.
I like the one about need and greed.
@aninditasen (17032)
• Raurkela, India
11h
There no meaning in wasting food like this. Rather they can be distributed among the poor and needy.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (74401)
• United States
30m
I can’t stand to see waste. I’ve had things I didn’t want at restaurants because they would have thrown it out. My “regular” restaurants don’t have a problem, but I’ll sometimes get too much food on the road.
@LindaOHio (187979)
• United States
14h
I don't waste anything because I don't keep a lot of food in my fridge. There are mainly just sandwiches and diet pop in my fridge.
