To what extent is wasting food sinful?

[CrossofChrist]

I’m sure we’ve all heard from our parents or at least from Pope Francis’ recent comments that wasting food is sinful. But to what extent?

I don’t see how wasting food for ordinary people, unless it’s a lot of food, is a sin, at least mortally. So maybe the Pope’s comments were more directed toward restaurants or governments who support this waste through farm subsidies to rich farmers?

Thoughts?

 

[LegoGE1947]

I’m sure we’ve all heard from our parents or at least from Pope Francis’ recent comments that wasting food is sinful. But to what extent?

I don’t see how wasting food for ordinary people, unless it’s a lot of food, is a sin, at least mortally. So maybe the Pope’s comments were more directed toward restaurants or governments who support this waste through farm subsidies to rich farmers?

Thoughts?

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.

 

[thequietsinger]

I’m sure we’ve all heard from our parents or at least from Pope Francis’ recent comments that wasting food is sinful. But to what extent?

I don’t see how wasting food for ordinary people, unless it’s a lot of food, is a sin, at least mortally. So maybe the Pope’s comments were more directed toward restaurants or governments who support this waste through farm subsidies to rich farmers?

Thoughts?

From the way I was brought up, you never waste good food, especially with the means we have today to keep it around for a long period of time, e.g. the freezer. However, I believe if there is just a little food leftover, not enough for a meal, then it’s fine to do away with it, unless you know of someone that would eat it. I don’t exactly know what the Pope means, nor do I want to interpret it wrong, but I have a slight feeling that’s what he meant. Why throw perfectly good food out the window when you could feed someone who can’t afford food?

 

[KrazyKat]

If we did not waste food there would be no fat people. Eating more than is necessary is the sin of gluttony and a waste of food.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

If we did not waste food there would be no fat people. Eating more than is necessary is the sin of gluttony and a waste of food.

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.

 

[ClearWater]

I remember a difficult time when I didn’t eat really for 2 days. I remember looking around at people who were overweight and thinking, “This is so unfair”.

Equally, I have since had more than enough food and had to see a nutritionist. So, I’ve been on different sides of this issue. I’ve been at my target weight…above…and below.

I know that I’ve sometimes been more tempted to overeat when I’m stressed out, feeling that it’s compensating for whatever else I’m lacking in my life, trying to achieve a feeling of comfort and consolation.

However, on some level, I guess I realize that it’s not the right way to go about solving that problem.

In the US, I’ve seen companies throw a lot of what seems to be perfectly good food in the garbage. Sometimes, it seems to be due to policies. A few people can also get a bit overly litigious, at times.

I’ve heard of some groups such as…think they were called, “Second Harvest” who would work with people with leftover food, from say restaurants, and try to get it to someone in need.

I heard that in…Germany…at least at one point, they had organized themselves to a point where they had a place to put leftover food where it went to feeding animals…if it wasn’t fit for human consumption. However, people would need to be able to get to a level of discipline to do all that properly.

I remember seeing a bunch of leftover popcorn at the movie theaters. I was able to get at least some of that taken home, and you wouldn’t believe how many birds got fed with that. The manager of the movie theater only asked not to sue if any of the animals got sick. The house looked like a zoo. There were so many birds that once a construction person came through (when I lived in the US), opened the gate, and a ton of birds flew away, as startled as he was.

The US, especially, wastes probably enough food which could feed a country…or countries!

Sometimes, I’ve had leftover food, and I try to give it away. If possible to a homeless or poor person downtown. If not, to an animal. I give some to the birds and chickens. They will eat almost anything!

Still, I sometimes waste by buying something I end up not eating.

I’ve wondered if I should try to get by on simple food…more beans and tortillas, say, instead of all the rest.

Mother Teresa was commenting on how some bottles of water we bought could pay for a child’s education…I think in India…for a year! So, I see her point.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

If we did not waste food there would be no fat people. Eating more than is necessary is the sin of gluttony and a waste of food.

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.

 

[Deus_tecum]

I knew a family that whatever they cooked for the evening meal was tossed out after they ate their fill, no matter how much was left over. When asked about it the couple said “Oh we could not eat the same thing again this week!” Some people are just spoiled and don’t value what they have.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

If we did not waste food there would be no fat people. Eating more than is necessary is the sin of gluttony and a waste of food.

That’s exactly what I was going to say. A lot of people waste food every day and don’t even know or don’t think they are. It’s silly to tell a kid to eat everything on his plate so as not to waste it when if he keeps eating after he’s full he’s still wasting it. It just sits on the body as extra fat and extra weight. Parents and people should not put too much on the plate to begin with.

 

[SuperLuigi]

I’m sure we’ve all heard from our parents or at least from Pope Francis’ recent comments that wasting food is sinful. But to what extent?

I don’t see how wasting food for ordinary people, unless it’s a lot of food, is a sin, at least mortally. So maybe the Pope’s comments were more directed toward restaurants or governments who support this waste through farm subsidies to rich farmers?

Thoughts?

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…

 

[SuperLuigi]

If we did not waste food there would be no fat people. Eating more than is necessary is the sin of gluttony and a waste of food.

Well, some diet programs may insist on people throwing out junk food in their residence, but I would guess that’s not a sin.

Ideally, that food (which is still energy) could be give to charity, but if it’s opened or expired, they can’t legally take it.

 

[crochet_lady]

When I was growing up – I’m in my 60’s. My mother was a nurse – very into good nutricious meals. I’d hear comments about people in other countries who don’t have enough to eat so appreciate what we Do have. Don’t waste food. Take reasonable portions – put left-overs in the refrig until later. But don’t throw away perfectly good food. Maybe it would be ‘waste not–want not’.

 

[Deus_tecum]

Well, some diet programs may insist on people throwing out junk food in their residence, but I would guess that’s not a sin.

Ideally, that food (which is still energy) could be give to charity, but if it’s opened or expired, they can’t legally take it.

People are being quasi-poisoned with too much sugar and carbohydrates. It may be nice to think we are giving someone “energy” with junk food, but most of it is converted to fat, and can lead to a host of health problems. One thing I have learned about charity is to give good gifts. Junk food is not a good gift. Blood sugar spikes and crashes are not good for the poor, the mentally ill, or anyone else for that matter.

 

[pensmama87]

Sometimes having leftover food that can’t be eaten later happens. We should take precautions to avoid that happening, but it still occurs.

Now, if you compost…a lot of that food can be “thrown away” but you’re still reusing it…

 

[Bobby_Jim]

Sometimes having leftover food that can’t be eaten later happens. We should take precautions to avoid that happening, but it still occurs.

yeah, like you go to dinner & a movie, and you aren’t going to want to eat your leftover linguine & clams after sitting in the car for 3 hours… or your potato salad that didn’t get finished at the picnic. Even apart from food spoilage issues, there are certain things that when reheated will just be a soggy mess, or otherwise undesirable. French fries and nachos are a couple of things that come to mind that don’t re-heat well.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

People are being quasi-poisoned with too much sugar and carbohydrates. It may be nice to think we are giving someone “energy” with junk food, but most of it is converted to fat, and can lead to a host of health problems. One thing I have learned about charity is to give good gifts. Junk food is not a good gift. Blood sugar spikes and crashes are not good for the poor, the mentally ill, or anyone else for that matter.

Good point!

 

[LegoGE1947]

Good point!

 

[Dorine_Houston]

If we did not waste food there would be no fat people. Eating more than is necessary is the sin of gluttony and a waste of food.

Gluttony is another form of wastefulness. Overbuying so that the food goes bad before it can be eaten is the kind of wastefulness that can be sinful. It would be better to buy less and donate to feeding the poor. There are many who suffer hunger in our plentiful earth; it is our duty to do whatever we can to end it. Control your buying, eat out less often and give to the hungry.

 

[Kamaduck]

Wow, I really am a spoiled middle-class kid. It didn’t even occur to me that wasting food was sinful. Now I’m kind of wondering what the cutoff would be, too. I suppose the point would be to stretch food for as long as possible, ultimately buying and using less.

Now I feel bad. I threw away half a pancake this morning. It would have made a perfectly good part of breakfast tomorrow.

 

[Dorine_Houston]

…Now I feel bad. I threw away half a pancake this morning. It would have made a perfectly good part of breakfast tomorrow.

Yes, it would have. Anybody who has experienced poverty, even the genteel poverty of the self-supporting graduate student, knows the value of making use of every crumb.