Ugly Food
In 2012, NRDC published a groundbreaking report that revealed that up to 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten. On average, that amounts to 400 pounds of food per person every year.
“Ugly Food” started it all
Recent data says 40% of food resources in the U.S. are wasted each year. At the same time, nearly 50 million Americans lived in food insecure households in 2013. After watching a segment on food waste in 2015, we set out to host a one-time event in partnership with the Red River Market to raise awareness about the issue. We used the concept of “ugly food” to get people interested in learning more about the problem of food waste. Over 100 people showed up, and wanted to know more!
What is “Ugly Food”
A large portion of wasted food includes perfectly good fruits & veggies that never make it to groceries and farmers markets because they aren’t picture-perfect. “Ugly Food” refers to cosmetically imperfect produce - aka three legged carrots, misshapen tomatoes, etc. At Food of the North, we believe even "ugly food" should be eaten and enjoyed.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
"Off the Hip" Cooking - Megan Myrdal shares her expertise on getting creative in the kitchen & avoiding unnecessary grocery store trips during the COVID-19 health crisis. (Valley News Live, April 2020)
More Taste, Less Waste - This presentation was given at the North Dakota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference by Megan Myrdal (March 2020)
Ugly Food Coloring Page 1 - CLICK FOR PDF
Design: Jeff Knight of Cereal
Ugly Food Coloring Page 2 - CLICK FOR PDF
Design: Jeff Knight of Cereal
Ugly Food Coloring Page 3 - CLICK FOR PDF
Design: Jeff Knight of Cereal