This year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future,” which aims to highlight how we can eat with sustainability in mind. The topic of food waste is not commonly discussed, yet it needs our attention to help protect our oceans and landfills from unnecessary debris. According to AND, Americans throw away billions of pounds of food each year. We can start to decrease the amount of food we waste by looking in our own kitchens.

Here are a few tips to help address this which begin with you:

• Purchase foods in bulk to decrease the packaging that becomes waste.
• Plan meals based on what you already have in your refrigerator, freezer or cupboard.
• Limit the purchase of perishable foods or use before they are over-ripe.
• Get creative with leftovers; transform them into soups, salads or sandwiches.
• Follow the shelf life of foods; use them by their expiration date.

Another way to “Fuel for the Future” is to follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “MyPlate” daily recommended amounts of each food group. Choose smaller portions to stay within your calorie needs and make your food choices according to the MyPlate nutrition guidance. Recommendations from MyPlate help us understand how to create a healthy eating routine at every stage of life.

MyPlate reminds us how important it is to fill half of our plates with a variety of vegetables and fruits, followed by grains, protein foods, and dairy or non-dairy alternatives. This is represented by the MyPlate symbol, which you can find at: https://www.myplate.gov/. Examples of healthy food combinations that go well together, using ingredients you may already have in your kitchen, include:

• quinoa, or brown rice with black beans, corn, and chopped or sliced bell peppers, accompanied by a dressing of olive oil and lime juice;
• salad with lettuce, hard boiled eggs, tuna, and tomatoes, dressed with a little olive oil and vinegar;
• scrambled eggs with cheese, salsa, and whole grain toast; and
• baked fish with sauteed vegetables and rice.

For more information, tips, and recipes for healthy eating, here are some resources:

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: https://www.eatright.org/
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/eating-well.page
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/nutrition-services.page

For help reaching your health goals, talk to your health care provider about seeing a registered dietitian. They are the nutrition experts who can provide advice to help you “Fuel the Future” today, and every day, moving forward.

Mary Lou Pompeii RDN CDCES CDN is an associate wellness dietitian in the Human Resources, Total Rewards division of Montefiore Health System.