6 ways to waste less when eating out
4. Share meals
The average restaurant meal today is four times bigger than it was in the 1950s and eight times larger than the USDA-recommended serving size, according to the environmental nonprofit Sustainable America. No wonder few dinners lick their plates clean. But despite our best intentions, we do a bad job of taking uneaten food home with us. Fifty-five percent of leftover restaurant food never makes it out the door, and of the food that does, 38 percent doesn’t get consumed.
To avoid senseless food waste, split a meal with a pal. Or if you’re dining with two others, share two entrées or appetizers between the three of you. If you have a larger group—such as you, your spouse and your three kids—order a handful of dishes for the table. And if you do have leftovers and can take them home, just remember to grab that to-go box off the table!