In the year 2015…

1/8 American households were food insecure.

42.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households.

Households with children had a higher rate of food insecurity compared to households without children.

Black and Hispanic households faced higher rates of food insecurity compared to other races (22% and 19%).

Households lead by either single women or single men have higher rates of food insecurity (30% and 22%).

These are all statistics from feedingamerica.org.

(http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/hunger-and-poverty/hunger-and-poverty-fact-sheet.html?)

Though these numbers are down from previous years, they are still  shockingly high for a developed country like the U.S. Many people are not getting the adequate food and nutrition they need to be healthy. This can cause starvations, other health problems, and potential developmental issues in children-who are among the highest percentage of people hurt by food insecurity. The fact that so many Americans go to bed hungry and that so much food that could be donated to them ends up as food waste is a tragedy that should be combated.

Mindfulness is a key value Americans need to put more emphasis on. Portion control while eating and while grocery shopping can be extremely helpful to the issue of waste at large. Before you throw away food ask yourself if it is salvageable or if it can possibly be donated to a food pantry. Not only will your mindful thinking and actions be beneficial to the country and people in need, it will be to your bank account as well! According to an article from Triple Pundit, one American family loses $1600-$2000 a year in food that is purchased but not consumed. Trying to reduce food waste offers many benefits to individuals and the country as a whole-economical, social, and moral benefits.