Frozen Food Group Creates Course Materials to Educate Kids About Food Waste

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association  (opens in a new tab) is getting the word out about ways to decrease food waste with a new program for kids returning to school.

NFRA announced a partnership with Young Minds Inspired, a school curriculum firm, to offer lesson plans that teach students and their families how to reduce food waste. The “No Taste for Food Waste  (opens in a new tab)” program—which has been introduced to 65,000 educators nationwide—includes lessons for middle-school and high-school students in family and consumer science, environmental science, and health courses.

The average person throws away 300 pounds of food yearly, at a cost per family of $2,200 and a nationwide cost of $218 billion, according to the association.

The new program “addresses food waste problems in ways that teens, teachers, and parents can relate [to],” NFRA President and CEO Skip Shaw said in a news release  (opens in a new tab). “Through interactive activities, we deliver the staggering facts about the economic and environmental impact of the food waste problem, share important food safety information, and provide realistic action plans for what we can all do about food waste in our homes and our communities—including how foods from the frozen and dairy aisles can be part of the solution to turning around the consumer food waste trend.”

The course materials feature information on food expiration dates and safe thawing, storage, and cooking of frozen and refrigerated foods. The program includes quizzes and interactive elements.

NFRA also shared a related resource: a recipe for a “Back-to-School Bento Box  (opens in a new tab),” which the organization said cuts down on lunch-packing waste like plastic bags and foil.

A “Back-to-School Bento Box” featured in the “No Taste for Food Waste” program. (Handout photo)