Holiday meal planning to reduce food waste

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – After filling up on Thanksgiving favorites, it’s hard to imagine nearly half of all food prepared for the holiday will end up in the trash, yet, it’s true.

Thousands of pounds of uneaten turkey, gravy, green beans and mashed potatoes wind up in San Diego’s landfills. It may seem outrageous, but 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. is never eaten. In fact, food is the single largest contributor to U.S. landfills today, with each individual tossing out 20 pounds of food a month on average and costing the average family more than $1,500 each year.

Wasting food also waste...