Stealing from the Table

I forgot the brown sugar. Looking back, I see exactly how it happened. Standing in front of the brown sugar, I looked to the left in the gluten-free section to see if there were any gluten-free cake mixes. There were not. I moved on. (Of course, that doesn’t explain how, when I reviewed my list before moving to check out, I still missed the brown sugar, but let’s not get into that.)

The most satisfying breakfast, in my opinion, and especially after a challenging strength training workout, is a warm bowl of oatmeal. I mix oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. I prefer to cook my oatmeal slowly until its nice and soft. Right at the end, I add a spoonful of peanut butter, then turn off the heat and cover the pan. While the peanut butter is melting, I put a generous dollop of vanilla almond milk yogurt in a cereal bowl. I top that with the oatmeal and drizzle honey on top. It’s yummy.

Today, since there’s no brown sugar, my breakfast is a protein bar and some yogurt. It’s still very enjoyable. I enjoy the solitude of my breakfast routine– just me, my breakfast and a book. (The cat knows to mind his own business during breakfast.) Eventually, I reach the bottom of the yogurt cup and the struggle begins. I am not a finger-swiper, nor would I ever use my tongue to get any kind of food remnants, but my spoon is incapable of retrieving what is left. I do my best, but ultimately admit defeat.

How much food is wasted because of inadequate utensils and ridiculous packaging? It’s a search query that yields limited and not exactly relevant returns. There is a lot of interest in produce that is spoiled because it is packaged ineffectively. There is also plenty of chatter about the amount of food thrown away in the United States because restaurant portion sizes are just way too big.

But what about all the peanut butter that gets discarded because there’s no way to get it all out of the jar? How much ketchup goes in the trash even after all the squeezing and shaking and thumping? When I turn the near-empty bottle of honey on its end, will I still be able to get every last drop?

The dregs of my yogurt cup would feed exactly nobody. In a month, it might be enough for a small snack. I’m not going to feed starving children or end world hunger by cleaning the cup completely. But, thinking mathematically, there is no denying that the totals are potentially staggering.

It’s a symptom of the time we live in: when food is mass produced and conveniently packaged there will inevitably be waste. When everyone grew or hunted their own food, some went hungry then, too. Because of drought and late frost, poor soil and invading insects, hunger and inequality are earthly inheritances.

Does that mean I should just give up? Should I keep throwing away food without giving it a second thought? In 2013, Pope Francis said, “Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry.” I think that means no.

A few years ago, I volunteered at a local food pantry. I met a couple there, fellow volunteers, who collected metal pop tabs from cans to donate to Ronald McDonald House. RMH Charities gives the pop tabs to recycling centers in exchange for cash that they put toward operating expenses.

That couple at the food pantry had keen eyes for spotting pop tabs and I found their passion for collecting them inspiring. How much of what I call garbage could help someone else?

I’ve been pondering this issue for a while now and I’m on the cusp of some little changes, I think. Little things are kind of my specialty. “Little things are indeed little,” Mother Teresa once said, “but to be faithful in little things is a great thing.”

I’m not sure what my next step is, but I’m determined. I’ll do what I can. Let’s see where this goes, shall we?