Reduce Policy 8 Reduce school food waste by using no-cost or low-cost smart strategies. • Schedule recess before lunch to reduce food waste by as much as 30
percent32 by increasing students’ appetite and removing the excitement to go play outside.
• Create longer lunch periods to provide enough time for students to eat and reduce plate waste.33
• Offer a variety of food choices to students to increase the likelihood that students select the foods and beverages they prefer, which increases consumption and reduces waste.
• Focus on palatability of foods since kids eat more when they like the taste of the food.
• Following the Smarter Lunchroom Movement,34 explore changes in the cafeteria to encourage students to increase consumption.
Strategies
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Give entrees and vegetables creative age-targeted names.
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Display fruits in attractive baskets.
• Use share tables in all schools to let students swap unwanted school meal items.
• Engage students in menu preparation by holding taste tests and check
food acceptability by conducting surveys or creating a student advisory committee to provide feedback.
• Use different subjects in schools to teach students about food waste and its environmental, economic, and social impacts. ȥȥ
In science classes, study how food rots in the landfill and how compost is produced.
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Create food waste-related posters in arts classes and post them in the cafeteria.
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In social sciences, study the relationship of food insecurity and food waste and how to reduce both.
• Conduct a food waste audit to determine how much and what is being wasted and why. Get students involved. Based on the results, take necessary actions to reduce food waste.
32. EPA, Food Tips for K-12 Schools: Get Kids To Eat More and Waste Less. 33. According to EPA, extending lunch period from 20 to 30 minutes would reduce plate waste by nearly one-third. EPA, Food Loss Prevention Options for Grade Schools, EPA-530-F-16-019-A, August 2016. 34. http://smarterlunchrooms.org
REDUCE, RECOVER, RECYCLE—FOOD WASTE IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY | 2019
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