Intro to food waste
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN, globally ⅓ of all food that is produced for human consumption is wasted. Within that food loss statistic, the majority of food waste (45%) is from fruits and vegetables. That means almost HALF of all fruits and veggies are wasted. Not only is food waste preventing potentially delicious meal opportunities but it is also a waste of money. Not to mention the waste of the resources when considering the amount of water, land, energy, labor and capital it takes to produce the food. As the population grows and resources become more scarce it will be increasingly difficult to produce enough food to meet the global demand.
Americans are notorious when it comes to the most waste produced per person. The Atlantic reports that US throws about 60 million tons or (160 billion) worth of produce away each year. The EPA found that food is unfortunately one of the main components of landfills, despite the fact that composting is a more sustainable solution. Why is the US one of the biggest food wasters? Food is significantly cheaper in the US when compared to other places around the world because of large governmental subsidies given to the wheat, milk and soybean industry. Americans also demand aesthetically perfect food, which means farmers are not able to sell (and thus, are forced to dispose of) "imperfect" food.
If fighting climate change seems like a daunting and overwhelming task or if you’re just looking to save money and shop smarter, fighting food waste is a great place to start. We all can do better.
My top 3 ways to reduce food waste:
Americans are notorious when it comes to the most waste produced per person. The Atlantic reports that US throws about 60 million tons or (160 billion) worth of produce away each year. The EPA found that food is unfortunately one of the main components of landfills, despite the fact that composting is a more sustainable solution. Why is the US one of the biggest food wasters? Food is significantly cheaper in the US when compared to other places around the world because of large governmental subsidies given to the wheat, milk and soybean industry. Americans also demand aesthetically perfect food, which means farmers are not able to sell (and thus, are forced to dispose of) "imperfect" food.
If fighting climate change seems like a daunting and overwhelming task or if you’re just looking to save money and shop smarter, fighting food waste is a great place to start. We all can do better.
My top 3 ways to reduce food waste:
- Buy the “ugly” veggies (This company delivers imperfect food to your door!)
- If something is starting to go bad use it!
- For example, if bananas are starting to brown just throw them in the freezer and use them for something like smoothies or banana bread later
- Write down/take a picture of what you have in your fridge before you go grocery shopping and plan meals based on the food you've already purchased
- If you don't know what's in your fridge it can be easy to let food go to waste
- If you don't know what's in your fridge it can be easy to let food go to waste
July: Chirrup foods-a cookie company using Cricket Flour
The food scene is buzzing with the potential of insects. Why insects? Well, with almost 10 billion people expected to populate the earth by 2050 our current food system will not be able to sustain the ever-increasing demand without new solutions. Insects present an interesting solution as they “contain high quality protein, vitamins and amino acids for humans” (FAO). Not only are they healthy but they are also more sustainable than other current sources of protein. Insects require fewer resources when compared to cattle, sheep or pigs. “Crickets need six times less feed than cattle, four times less than sheep, and twice less than pigs and broiler chickens to produce the same amount of protein” (FAO).
I first came across Chirrup at a food festival in London and was pleasantly surprised to see a cookie with crickets as an ingredient. I was extremely eager to see if I could taste a difference between regular flour and cricket flour-turns out I couldn’t taste a difference. Prab greeted my many questions with a warm and patient smile, clearly excited to share her knowledge about her innovative company. To start, Chirrup is an insect flour-based cookie company that aims to help consumers “warm up to the concept of having insects.” Prab shared that “Our goal is for people to become open to incorporating insects in their diets in a more comprehensive manner. Prab believes that by making cookies with cricket powder consumers will become more informed about insects as a potential source of protein. She hopes that people will soon make the connection beyond just the delicious taste but eventually transition to understanding the larger contexts of insect’s ability to help curb the global food insecurity crisis.
I was curious how consumers typically reacted to the product and Prab explained that “we use ground up cricket powder in the cookies so you can’t see the whole insects,” this makes it difficult to detect. Just like Prab I thought that people would be initially disgusted by insects in cookies. However, Prab revealed that she was actually pleasantly surprised as “most consumers were fascinated and wanted to give it a go.”
Chirrup foods offers a fresh perspective on insects. They want to empower their consumers to be fearless and approach their product with the same bold curiosity that people experience when they are traveling and have the choice to experience a new food. Eating insects can be
I learned recently that insects are highly diverse especially in a powder as it can be incorporated into burgers, breads, pasta and breakfast cereal. This is especially exciting considering that “crickets and other insects like meal worms, grasshoppers, beetles etc are quite common in many countries,” shared Prab.
It is already happening!
From fried grasshoppers in Mexico or silk worms in Thailand they are tasty snacks that are growing in popularity. Recently, Central Co-op in my hometown of Seattle sells organic roasted crickets and cricket flour. San Francisco also has companies like Bitty Foods making cookies and Exo in New York making protein bars.
Insects are becoming more normalized as large stores and restaurants feature it on their shelves and menus. Prab told me that “there is huge potential here and it’s just a matter of time before the novelty factor and confusion around eating insects is overcome and it’s just another normal thing.” Prab also explained how she would personally purchase the product and she is excited to see a growing awareness about the topic.
Hard to believe right? A product that is beneficial to both the environment and human health? Crazy cool! I am so glad I stumbled upon Chirrup and had the chance to snack on a cricket cookie. One was not enough and I can’t wait to try the different flavors. So go be bold, step out of your comfort zone and snack on some tasty insects near you!
Happy eating and make sure to #darewithChirrup
To learn more you can sign up to their email list to get a chance to try taste the yummy treats for yourself!
I first came across Chirrup at a food festival in London and was pleasantly surprised to see a cookie with crickets as an ingredient. I was extremely eager to see if I could taste a difference between regular flour and cricket flour-turns out I couldn’t taste a difference. Prab greeted my many questions with a warm and patient smile, clearly excited to share her knowledge about her innovative company. To start, Chirrup is an insect flour-based cookie company that aims to help consumers “warm up to the concept of having insects.” Prab shared that “Our goal is for people to become open to incorporating insects in their diets in a more comprehensive manner. Prab believes that by making cookies with cricket powder consumers will become more informed about insects as a potential source of protein. She hopes that people will soon make the connection beyond just the delicious taste but eventually transition to understanding the larger contexts of insect’s ability to help curb the global food insecurity crisis.
I was curious how consumers typically reacted to the product and Prab explained that “we use ground up cricket powder in the cookies so you can’t see the whole insects,” this makes it difficult to detect. Just like Prab I thought that people would be initially disgusted by insects in cookies. However, Prab revealed that she was actually pleasantly surprised as “most consumers were fascinated and wanted to give it a go.”
Chirrup foods offers a fresh perspective on insects. They want to empower their consumers to be fearless and approach their product with the same bold curiosity that people experience when they are traveling and have the choice to experience a new food. Eating insects can be
- Delicious
- Beneficial to human health
- More environmentally friendly
I learned recently that insects are highly diverse especially in a powder as it can be incorporated into burgers, breads, pasta and breakfast cereal. This is especially exciting considering that “crickets and other insects like meal worms, grasshoppers, beetles etc are quite common in many countries,” shared Prab.
It is already happening!
From fried grasshoppers in Mexico or silk worms in Thailand they are tasty snacks that are growing in popularity. Recently, Central Co-op in my hometown of Seattle sells organic roasted crickets and cricket flour. San Francisco also has companies like Bitty Foods making cookies and Exo in New York making protein bars.
Insects are becoming more normalized as large stores and restaurants feature it on their shelves and menus. Prab told me that “there is huge potential here and it’s just a matter of time before the novelty factor and confusion around eating insects is overcome and it’s just another normal thing.” Prab also explained how she would personally purchase the product and she is excited to see a growing awareness about the topic.
Hard to believe right? A product that is beneficial to both the environment and human health? Crazy cool! I am so glad I stumbled upon Chirrup and had the chance to snack on a cricket cookie. One was not enough and I can’t wait to try the different flavors. So go be bold, step out of your comfort zone and snack on some tasty insects near you!
Happy eating and make sure to #darewithChirrup
To learn more you can sign up to their email list to get a chance to try taste the yummy treats for yourself!