Why do we throw away $14 out of every $100 we spend on food?

That's right-- U.S. and Canadian residents waste 14% of our food because we let it go bad and throw it away.  I've been working on buying less (my fridge is dying and doesn't keep food well) but buying only what I need would be so much simpler if I could go to the corner store and buy a potato or an apple as easily as M&Ms and Frito-Lays.

“Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without” is how Colleen Vanderlinden begins her post, 50 Ways to Never Waste Food Again.  Here's a few of her tips; check out the rest at Planet Green. 

• If you have to dice part of an onion or pepper for a recipe, don't waste the rest of it. Chop it up and store it in the freezer for the next time you need diced onion or peppers.
• If you’re preparing squash, don’t toss the seeds. Rinse and roast them in the oven, just like you would with pumpkin seeds. The taste is pretty much the same.
• Made too many pancakes for breakfast? Put them in the freezer, then toss in the toaster for a fast, tasty weekday breakfast. Ditto waffles.
• If you have pickle juice left in a jar, don’t pour it down the drain. Use it to make a fresh batch of refrigerator pickles, or add it to salad dressings.

Photo from Evelynishere's photostream at Flickr.