by Caitlin Boland RD, LDN | Nutrition Services Manager

Take a moment to think about the food that gets thrown away in your program each week.

An unopened milk carton. A banana that turned brown before snack time. Leftover vegetables from lunch. A tray of food prepared for children who were absent that day.

Now consider this: approximately 30-40% of the U.S. food supply goes uneaten each year. That’s an estimated 133 billion pounds of food worth $161 billion. At the same time, millions of Americans face food insecurity.

Food waste can occur at every stage of meal service:

Purchase → Storage → Preparation → Service → Plate Waste

Maybe too much product was ordered. Perhaps a case of yogurt expired before it could be used. Maybe more food was prepared than needed, or children simply weren’t interested in a menu item that day.

While no childcare center is responsible for solving the food waste crisis alone, every program has an opportunity to make a difference. The habits children learn today can shape how they value food for years to come.

So, what can childcare programs do?

 

 

Before Meals: Start with Smart Planning

One of the biggest opportunities to reduce food waste happens behind the scenes. Over-ordering, expired inventory, and preparing more food than needed can quickly add up.

Try this:

• Follow a First In, First Out (FIFO) inventory system.
• Review expiration dates regularly.
• Use ingredients across multiple meals (aka Multipurpose menu items) to help ensure products are used before they go to waste.
• Use attendance records to estimate meal counts more accurately.
• Track commonly wasted foods and adjust purchasing habits accordingly.

Even small improvements can have a financial impact. A center serving 100 children that reduces food waste by just $1 per child per week could save more than $5,000 each year.

At Mealtime: Make Food Worth Exploring

Would children be more likely to try “Dinosaur Trees” than broccoli?

Children are naturally curious. Creative food names, engaging conversations, and positive role modeling can increase acceptance of foods and reduce the amount that ends up in the trash.

Try this: Let children help create names for menu items or vote on a “Food of the Week.”

After Meals: Turn Waste into a Learning Opportunity

What if food waste became a teachable moment?

Children are never too young to learn where food comes from and why it matters. Gardening projects, composting activities, and discussions about food production can help children develop an appreciation for the food they eat.

Try this: Create a “Food Waste Detective” role where children observe which foods are most and least popular.

Every Bite Has a Story

Food doesn’t magically appear on a plate. It takes farmers, transportation, water, land, energy, labor, and time to produce every apple, carrot, and carton of milk served in your program.

When food is wasted, those resources are wasted too.

The good news? Reducing food waste doesn’t require perfection. Small actions—better planning, smarter purchasing, engaging mealtimes, and sustainability education—can have a meaningful impact.

So here’s a question for your program:

If you looked inside your trash can today, what would it teach you about your food waste tomorrow?

The answer might be the first step toward creating a more sustainable future for your children, your budget, and your community.