To what extent is wasting food sinful?

[crochet_lady]

Ophelia 23

Very good About giving small portions and when they were gone, additional Small portions. Nothing gets wasted.

A side - note – some time ago I worked a short time in a nursing home – a kitchen-aid. What an ‘eye opener’. Each resident was given a certain amount of food plus any medication needed. I helped serve And clean-up. Talk about a waste of food. But it was the state ‘allotment’ per resident. Just so they couldn’t be accused of Not feeding them. And, of course, in those environments there was no such thing as collecting unused food and reserving. At least not There.

I’ve wondered about those cooking programs, too. All that is Not used.

This country has been Very blessed and we tend to Not appreciate it at times.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

And what would happen if they served it? Customers would complain that the food they receive was not up to the standard they expect. And what would happen if they cooked less food so as to have less waste? They would run out of some items and customers would complain that it was not ready for them when they wanted it.

Companies behave like this because we, as customers, demand to have what we want, when we want it.

Until we get into the mindset that food is precious and not just a commodity that ought to be available on demand in any variety, flavour or type, at any time we want it, or in any time of the year, then this sinful waste of food will continue. We do not have the right to expect our favourite foods to be available whenever we want them. We ought to actually be grateful that we have food, of any type, available to us, as this is something that a great many of our fellow men do not have.

I agree with this, it is us collectively that makes such wastefulness necessary. I worked at a food court that served pizza as well as other hot food and we used to have to throw food away as soon as it wasn’t looking or tasting like it just got out of the oven, and I thought it was a horrible waste. But it’s true that people will complain if it doesn’t taste like it was just freshly made only for them and then complain if they have to wait for it to be cooked for them because they want it ready when they arrive and order it. And when I mentioned the wastefulness, those in charge told me that if they give it away they open themselves up to lawsuits by greedy people. One of my coworkers told me about how one time a homeless looking person or someone close to being homeless came to get some water because it was free and saw her throwing away some perfectly good cooked hotdogs because they were not as fresh as some expect and the guy begged her to take them out of the trash and give to him for free and she did. I don’t blame her I would have too. She probably would have gotten in trouble if the manager caught her though. It is sad that people have become so greedy for lawsuits and so spoiled for wanting perfect food ready all the time that it has created a need to be so wasteful. They need to start weaning Americans off of fast food anyway not just for the wastefulness of it but also because of what fast food is doing to America’s weight and health. Start slowing eliminating fast food places and it will help with health, weight and wastefulness issue. It will kill 3 birds with one stone.

 

[mikekle]

I agree with this, it is us collectively that makes such wastefulness necessary. I worked at a food court that served pizza as well as other hot food and we used to have to throw food away as soon as it wasn’t looking or tasting like it just got out of the oven, and I thought it was a horrible waste. But it’s true that people will complain if it doesn’t taste like it was just freshly made only for them and then complain if they have to wait for it to be cooked for them because they want it ready when they arrive and order it. And when I mentioned the wastefulness, those in charge told me that if they give it away they open themselves up to lawsuits by greedy people. One of my coworkers told me about how one time a homeless looking person or someone close to being homeless came to get some water because it was free and saw her throwing away some perfectly good cooked hotdogs because they were not as fresh as some expect and the guy begged her to take them out of the trash and give to him for free and she did. I don’t blame her I would have too. She probably would have gotten in trouble if the manager caught her though. It is sad that people have become so greedy for lawsuits and so spoiled for wanting perfect food ready all the time that it has created a need to be so wasteful. They need to start weaning Americans off of fast food anyway not just for the wastefulness of it but also because of what fast food is doing to America’s weight and health. Start slowing eliminating fast food places and it will help with health, weight and wastefulness issue. It will kill 3 birds with one stone.

I agree, They need to slowly start phasing out alot of these fast food places, society does not need a burger joint every 200ft on every road in town! That is more food than people need.

However this will not be done by them being convinced it is wrong, it will literally take a legal battle to force them out! LOL It is sad something like this takes legal action to force change…when people should really recognize the mistakes themselves and correct willingly.

 

[LegoGE1947]

I agree, They need to slowly start phasing out alot of these fast food places, society does not need a burger joint every 200ft on every road in town! That is more food than people need.

However this will not be done by them being convinced it is wrong, it will literally take a legal battle to force them out! LOL It is sad something like this takes legal action to force change…when people should really recognize the mistakes themselves and correct willingly.

It is the same with safety in businesses. It seems that it takes someone getting hurt or killed before many businesses will change work habits or processes. Then the government steps in and legislates what the company should have known enough to do willingly. A couple years ago, for example, a grain elevator in Illinois was employing a couple under age teens, there was a clog inside this silo that was filled with shelled corn, one of the boys went inside the silo to attempt to free the clog and sank into the corn and effectively “drowned” It was only then that the grain elevator changed its employment and safety procedures.

 

[Catholic80]

Sometimes food is spoiled and we have to pitch it. I don’t think that is a sin. It would be more of a sin to eat it and make yourself or family sick.

I think it’s always a sin to waste food. Now, I’m the first to have food spoil in the back of the fridge. Right now I am in a living situation with other women, and our leftovers often get forgotten and mixed up, and so food goes bad. This can be the sin of omission (what I have failed to do… to be attentive to the leftovers). I always feel bad when food gets spoiled. Not only is it a waste of money, but it’s really a sin. I mean, I, living in a first-world country, have the luxury to waste food. How disgraceful! Most people around the world are lucky if they have one meal a day, and here I have so much that I let it go to waste?

I don’t like wasting food, and I feel terrible every time it happens. And it happens probably at least once a week for me, but I try to get better and be more attentive each time.

I definitely think it’s an even greater sin to throw away good food. I get upset every time I see someone dump an unfinished meal in the garbage.

I think it’s a huge sin that is rampant in our country and if we want it to change, we have to start with ourselves.

 

[Brendan_64]

I don’t like wasting food, and I feel terrible every time it happens. And it happens probably at least once a week for me, but I try to get better and be more attentive each time.

Buy less food more often.

It’s better to run out of food in the fridge than buy more than you need (which is the cause of having more food than we can eat before it goes off). We have the luxury of being able to pop down to a store (these days at any time of the day) and buy something if we run out. How many of our fellow men would love to be able to have food so easily accessible as that? Yet we view having to pop out to buy food when we run out as being an inconvenience that we stick up with so much just to ensure we don’t have to pop out and get any more during the week. We really are very spoiled.

I feel particularly upset when meat (including fish) is wasted. An animal’s life was given up to provide us with food and we throw it in the bin because we are greedy and put far too much on our plate, we are fussy eaters, we have too much in our fridge, or we can’t be bothered buying in smaller quantities to avoid waste.

 

[mikekle]

I feel particularly upset when meat (including fish) is wasted. An animal’s life was given up to provide us with food and we throw it in the bin because we are greedy and put far too much on our plate, we are fussy eaters, we have too much in our fridge, or we can’t be bothered buying in smaller quantities to avoid waste.

I agree 100%, this also makes me mad to see this happen, and after reading this post, I have finally worked up the guts to tell someone about what is going on in these convenience stores, and how they throw perfectly good food out after 2 hours. I spoke to a friend and they contacted our local newspaper and they said they are interested in doing a story on it!!! I went thru a friend just so I wont be named as that could hurt my employment, but I also think they agreed to do this story mainly because we are close to the holidays and people tend to think more about donating food at this time.

But I truly hope this story will outrage alot of people, I think it will, once they find out these stores are ALL doing this and the amount of food that gets wasted each day is absolutely incredible! I also hope it will change things, but it will probably put the company in a bad light too.

 

[Ophelia23]

Just another thought on how to avoid food waste in our own households…

I plan out a menu each week. It isn’t too overly involved, but I know roughly what I am going to be cooking on any given day. I of course can move it around, change this day to that day, or decide to cook something else entirely. But when it comes to the grocery shopping, I only buy what I need to A) Keep my pantry stocked and B) to cook what is on the menu. Ever since I have started this, I have had much less food go to waste.

Also, I was gifted a Food Saver a few years ago…best gift EVER! Things last in the freezer for much longer when sealed properly.

 

[Brendan_64]

I agree 100%, this also makes me mad to see this happen, and after reading this post, I have finally worked up the guts to tell someone about what is going on in these convenience stores, and how they throw perfectly good food out after 2 hours. I spoke to a friend and they contacted our local newspaper and they said they are interested in doing a story on it!!! I went thru a friend just so I wont be named as that could hurt my employment, but I also think they agreed to do this story mainly because we are close to the holidays and people tend to think more about donating food at this time.

But I truly hope this story will outrage alot of people, I think it will, once they find out these stores are ALL doing this and the amount of food that gets wasted each day is absolutely incredible! I also hope it will change things, but it will probably put the company in a bad light too.

Well done. That is an excellent things to do. I hope the local paper runs the story.

 

[John_Lazarus]

This got me thinking about all the food that is thrown out by the large chain gas station/convenience store I am a corporate rep for, they cook and serve pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs and other items, and keep them in warmers, they are good for 2 hours, then they throw them out!!! and this happens each and every day in 1000s of similar locations all over the country, so IMO, Id say, it is absolutely sinful, but not sure who is sinning…it could be the health dept and taking way too many precautions, is it the company? the store mgr?.

Only two hours? I’ve seen hot dogs left over from the Truman Administration. (“The Frank Stops Here!”

I get sick when I think of all the food that they waste every single day of the week, Ive thought about mentioning this to a local media station and letting them break the story, hoping something makes this policy change, or find someone they can donate it to, or…?

I’m getting sick thinking about gas station hot dogs…

They could even put it out separately after 2 hours and give it away for free, but they have not done this yet and I truly think they would rather throw it away over giving it to someone who could use it…this really makes me mad. One store literally fills 55 gallon garbage cans full of food every single day, and its perfectly good food, the only reason its trash, is because it was not sold within 2 hours!!! Give me a freaking break!!

Seriously, though, I agree. I think they should at least keep the dogs in the fridge, and then cook 'em (and steam the buns, say) to order.

I guess the issue is that a lot of the convenience store purchases are impulse buys: folks getting a fillup think, “Hey, look at that. Think I’ll buy one.” (I mean, how many people would make a special trip to buy a tree shaped air freshener?) So those dogs have to be on display.

 

[John_Lazarus]

My grandfather had a saying “take all you like, but eat all you take”.

Well, if you waste a poor person’s food, that is probably a grave matter.

If you have bad food, it must get tossed. That’s all there is to it.

I think what Francis may be getting at are those who go to restaurants and just throw away the extra food. Or people who go to a buffet and are wasteful.

During my dating life, I was asked by a girl I took out at least once why I wanted to pack up her French fries and take them home.

Now, a lot of restaurants HAVE to get rid of food under certain conditions by regulations. It’d be great if everyone could just be responsible and police themselves but nooooo…

I have been to a few buffet restaurants that have the same theory – all you can eat, but if you waste food, they actually hit you with a surcharge. They’re not nitpicky – they won’t charge you for a bit of rice or a jar-doo chicken wing, but if you have a big slab of meat and scoops of mashed spud, they’ll add the fee. (It’s advertised up front, and over all the steam lines and trays, so there’s no pleading ignorance.)

 

[Di_Maiores]

It’s probably more accurate to say that if there were no potato chips, Doritos, cheese curls, pork rinds, French fries, soda, or chocolate, there would be far fewer fat people.

^^ This ^^

Also, wonderful grammar. So refreshing to see …

 

[LegoGE1947]

^^ This ^^

Also, wonderful grammar. So refreshing to see …

How about if there wasn’t no tater chips, Do-Reetos, French fries, and such, they wouldn’t be no fat peepul ! (My Grammer helpt me with this here sent-unse!)

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Just another thought on how to avoid food waste in our own households…

I plan out a menu each week. It isn’t too overly involved, but I know roughly what I am going to be cooking on any given day. I of course can move it around, change this day to that day, or decide to cook something else entirely. But when it comes to the grocery shopping, I only buy what I need to A) Keep my pantry stocked and B) to cook what is on the menu. Ever since I have started this, I have had much less food go to waste.

Also, I was gifted a Food Saver a few years ago…best gift EVER! Things last in the freezer for much longer when sealed properly.

I do that too, I make out a grocery list and buy just enough of what I need. I don’t throw money away by buying food that will spoil and go to waste. I don’t have money to burn like that. So it’s not only better to not waste food by buying too much, it also helps your budget too! I buy mostly fresh veggies and fruit and I know how long they will last and I buy just enough to last so it won’t go bad. I don’t like canned stuff, processed stuff or frozen stuff except I freeze meat. I live next door to a Walmart so I have no reason to buy a lot of stuff that will go bad before it can be eaten. If company comes for dinner, I will have to go shopping that day because I buy just enough of what I know will last without one thing going bad. I don’t believe in having a lot of food just sitting around to go bad, that’s wasting money.

 

[esieffe]

Overweight doesn’t always equal gluttony. Overweight could be because of they type of food you eat, not that you over eat. Also, some illnesses will make a person gain weight.

I don’t think it is sinful to throw out a spoon full of peas after a meal, or forgetting about the leftovers that was pushed to the back of the fridge.

I agree 100%. As with many sins, I think intention plays a part in the sin.

 

[Tommyts]

I agree 100%. As with many sins, I think intention plays a part in the sin.

I agree, intention plays a very large part… but I think we should be careful here regarding exculpation, as it probably isn’t anyone’s intention to ‘get fat’. At the point of ‘realization’, it’s the overweight person’s responsibility to monitor and regulate their appetite and food choices.