This month as we focus on going further with food, it’s important to learn how to reduce food waste. Roughly 40 percent of all food produced in the United States is wasted. The foods most often thrown out are the foods we should be eating more of such as fruits, veggies, seafood, and dairy products. Billions of pounds of food are thrown away each year in the U.S., which is about 300 pounds per year for the average American. At the same time, about 41 million people in the U.S. are struggling with hunger. We need to turn this trend around.

This month, celebrate National Nutrition Month and “Go Further with Food.” Have a tasty plan for leftovers. Leftover cut-up vegetables can be added to soups, salads, casseroles, pasta and rice dishes, omelets, and egg dishes, or they make a great, healthy snack. You may want to add leftover cut fruit to yogurt to make a parfait, mix all together to make a fruit salad, or add to a green salad. Get creative with leftover protein too: Make it part of pasta or rice dishes, egg dishes, casseroles, or soups.

March is National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme is “Go Further with Food. To go further with food is to get more healthy foods in your diet starting with a healthy breakfast. You’ll go further with food by planning meals and snacks in advance, so you’re more likely to make nutritious choices. Since food is the fuel we all need to live healthy, active lives, reducing food waste will help our entire planet go further with food.

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life more than a diet, with a focus on eating more plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, along with olive oil, herbs, and spices. Fish and seafood are the main sources of animal protein, moderate amounts of poultry, eggs, and dairy products are used, and red meat is limited. Research has shown that this lifestyle can increase lifespan and help reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Recently, a reduced risk of dementia has been added to the list of health benefits.