O Nourisher, we remember that when we were children, our parents used to remind us, "Finish your food. Think of all the poor starving people around the world." That plea usually worked by directing our attention back to the food in front of us. All too often we have not been really present during our meals, with our minds elsewhere.

Statistic: As much as 40% of America's food supply gets thrown away every day. That's more than 20 pounds of food per person per month, is wasted. This happens all along the food supply chain from farms to stores to restaurants, but food waste is highest in the American home. Families waste between $1300 and $2300 of food annually. (Slate.com)

In contrast, this article reports that this year, national French law banned the disposal of unsold food. Instead, the food must be donated to charity or used as animal feed. The law also incorporates an education program to inform schools, businesses and the general public about the food waste problem.

O Bread of Life, give us the patience, grace and reverence to stop wasting so much food. Help us to buy less, eat modest portions at meals, and savor all our food as we consume it. May we be always grateful for the blessings of strength and flourishing that come from our food. And may we recommit ourselves to finding ways to get food to those who are hungry.

Going Deeper

A Teaching Story by Deborah Kesten in The Healing Secrets of Food is about approaching food with love and appreciation.

Dive! Living Off America's Waste is an illuminating documentary about people known as dumpster divers who survive on discarded food.

Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal by Tristram Stuart is a hard-hitting survey of the negative consequences of food waste around the world.


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