sustainable living

Halloween Fun while Saving Funds

Spooky season is upon us! The smell of decaying leaves, the feeling of cool, crisp fall air, and the variety of Fall festivities are all indicative, Halloween is here! This year, despite inflating prices of food and goods, Americans are expected to spend a record high of $13.1 billion on Halloween items (candy, costumes, décor, etc.). How do we celebrate the fall and Halloween traditions we love without breaking the bank?

Jack-o-lantern bucket full of bills.

Picture from: Picture from Adobe Express.

 

  1. Explore your closets for clothing items you already own and create your own Halloween costume out of different pieces of clothing, jewelry, props, etc.

Assemble a costume you can throw together yourself using what you already own! One year, I threw together an orange-knitted turtleneck, a brown skirt, glasses and a magnifying glass and voila! My very own Velma costume from Scooby-Doo.

  1. Take advantage of post-season discounted Halloween items.

Following Spooky season, check out the sales leading up to holiday and seasonal promotions to see if there are any items on sale or clearance that you would like to use next year.

  1. Fall farms and haunted houses can be pricey. Try these inexpensive, festive fall activities!
  • Bobbing for Apples

Try a healthier version of apple-bobbing by hanging the apples by strings and having guests select their apple by taking a bite without using their hands!

  • Halloween Eye-Spy

Venture around your neighborhood or town on a Halloween scavenger hunt! Prompt your children to search for specific fall or Halloween decorations, flowers, etc.

  • Pumpkin-Carving

The closer it is November, the more likely it is farmers have already harvested their pumpkins. If you see a field that has been harvested, there may be discounted or free pumpkins available. Check your local farms! Carve your pumpkins with your kiddos for a fun, inexpensive fall activity, then bake the pumpkin seeds for a tasty treat! Try this recipe for Spicy and Sweet Pepitas.

      4. Distribute healthy, inexpensive foods instead of candy during Trick-or-Treat hours.

Foods like apples, bananas, and oranges all come ready-to-go in their own natural packaging, making these fruits a healthy, delicious substitute for expensive Halloween candy. Pretzels, popcorn, and pencils are all thrifty substitutes, as well. Check out these  healthy, budget-friendly alternatives to candy.

  1. When Trick-or-Treating, walk from house to house or share a vehicle with family or friends to reduce fuel costs.

No need to drive multiple vehicles for groups trick-or-treating together, or in the same location. Build relationships and reduce fuel costs by carpooling or walking with family and friends when trick-or-treating.

Embrace your Halloween and fall festivities, cherishing these experiences without spending an arm and a leg!

Written by: Caitlin Smith, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Guernsey County

Reviewed by: Kate Shumaker, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Holmes County

Lighten your Footprint at the Grocery Store

Picture of packaged food at grocery store

I’ve been trying hard lately to “lesson my footprint” on this earth, by changing my behaviors so that they are more sustainable. I’m still finding it hard however, when I go to the grocery store and try to limit the amount wasteful food packaging within my shopping cart.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), containers and packaging make up over 23% of landfill waste, with food-related packaging being a major contributor. With concerns about our environment in mind, it’s hard to avoid purchasing food in boxes, bags, wrappers, or foil when at the grocery. While packaging can promote food safety and preserve food quality, much of it is designed for single use and ends up in landfills, oceans, or incinerators.

Fortunately, there are some steps to reduce our reliance on wasteful packaging.

Use your own reusable bags, containers, and produce sacks. Replacing single-use plastic bags with cloth or mesh alternatives can significantly reduce plastic waste. Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags annually, most of which are not recyclable and definitely not readily biodegradable.  Remember to keep the bags in your car, as it’s easy to forget them!

Limit purchases within the center aisles as these are often filled with ultra-processed foods wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and cardboard. By focusing on whole, fresh foods, shoppers can reduce both packaging waste and their intake of unhealthy processed items. Consider purchasing fresh options from farmers markets as well as most products are minimally packaged and might not use as much fossil fuel getting to market.

Buying in bulk reduces the ratio of packaging to product. For example, purchasing a large bag of rice or oats generates less waste than buying multiple smaller packages. Many stores also offer bulk bins for grains, nuts, and spices, allowing customers to bring their own refillable containers and avoid packaging altogether.

Unfortunately, packaging for many food items might be unavoidable. In these cases, try to choose materials that are more easily recycled or composted. Glass and metal are generally recyclable, while paper and cardboard are recyclable and also biodegradable. Most plastics and Styrofoam are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills or polluting waterways and harming wildlife.

We as consumers can become agents of change by voicing our preferences or influencing with our pocketbooks. Ask store managers to stock more bulk items or products with minimal packaging can help shift demand. Support businesses that encourage environmental practices. Stay informed about local recycling rules and participating in community clean-up efforts. Although policy and system change is essential to fully address the packaging crisis, collective individual action can drive meaningful progress toward a more sustainable and less wasteful food system.

Author: Dan Remley, Associate Professor, Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension
Reviewer: Heather Reister, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

Less Trash, More Yum!

less trash more yum picture with stainable lunches and and and x on a bag of trash

As the school year begins, many families across the country return to the daily routine of packing lunches. But did you know that the average student generates 67 pounds of lunch packaging waste per school year? That’s nearly 19,000 pounds of trash for just one elementary school. Fortunately, packing a waste-free lunch is a simple and effective way to reduce environmental impact, save money, and promote healthier eating habits.

What Is a Waste-Free Lunch?

A waste-free lunch avoids disposable packaging and single-use items. Instead, it uses:

  • Reusable containers for food and drinks
  • Cloth napkins and stainless steel utensils
  • Whole fruits and bulk snacks portioned at home
  • Refillable water bottles

The goal is to eliminate trash that ends up in landfills and reduce the carbon footprint associated with food packaging and transportation.

Why It Matters

According to research from Penn State University, U.S. school cafeterias waste between 27% and 53% of the food they serve, with fruits and vegetables being the most frequently discarded items. Packing lunches at home allows families to choose foods children are more likely to eat, reducing food waste and promoting better nutrition. It also encourages portion control and healthy food choices.

Tips for Packing a Waste-Free Lunch

The Ohio State University Extension offers practical strategies for families:

  • Use reusable containers for sandwiches, snacks, and drinks
  • Avoid single-use plastics like baggies, juice boxes, and plastic utensils
  • Pack whole fruits instead of pre-packaged fruit cups
  • Include a cloth napkin and reusable cutlery
  • Buy in bulk and portion out servings at home

These small changes can make a big difference in reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

Health and Academic Benefits

Packing a lunch at home also gives parents control over what their children eat, allowing them to include balanced meals with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Children who receive nutritious meals are more likely to be food-secure, in good health, and perform better academically. Similarly, studies from the University of Washington found that healthy school meals can reduce childhood obesity and improve overall health outcomes.

Get Kids Involved

Children are more likely to eat what they help prepare. Let them choose their favorite fruits, veggies, and snacks, and teach them how to pack their lunch using reusable containers. This not only reduces waste but also empowers them to make healthy choices and learn sustainable habits.

Packing waste-free lunches is a slight change with significant benefits—for your child’s health, your wallet, and the planet. By making thoughtful choices and utilizing reusable items, families can reduce waste, enhance nutrition, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Sources:

https://fcs.osu.edu/sites/fcs/files/imce/PDFs/Waste-Free_Lunches.pdf

Written by: Susan Zies, OSU Extension, Wood County, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator

Reviewed by: Laura Stanton, OSU Extension, Warren County, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator

Keeping It “Fresh” All Year Long

With the summer comes gardens flourishing with fresh produce. It can be difficult to keep up with the harvest, resulting in unpicked veggies going to waste. A wonderful way to prevent such food waste and to enjoy the fruits, or vegetables, of our labor all year long is to preserve them. There are multiple food preservation techniques that are suitable for even the novice. The most important thing to remember when preserving food is that there are certain principles to follow to ensure a safe and quality end product, so it is best to get instructions and recipes from a reliable source. (This is not the situation for trying the latest TikTok trend!). One such resource is the National Center for Home Food Preservation. The Center is home to instructions for a variety of food preservation methods, from canning to fermenting to smoking to freezing, and it also includes a frequently updated blog site addressing current food preservation topics and dispelling unsafe practices which may be promoted on social media, including “dry canning” raw vegetables. Another resource is the Ohio State Extension Food Preservation webpage, which includes links to reliable resources and fact sheets as well as recorded videos demonstrating food preservation techniques.

Let’s explore some of the most popular food preservation techniques, including canning.  This preservation technique can be time-consuming and intimidating, considering the food safety concerns if not done properly. Yet canning has been done for generations and is a way to ensure the hunt and harvest provides nourishment all  year round. The canning process heats the foods to a high temperature and drives air from the product, creating a vacuum seal, killing most of the bacteria and preventing microorganisms from entering and contaminating the food.

There are 2 basic canning methods:

  • Water Bath Canning – appropriate for high-acid foods (pH of 4.6 or less), including pickles, most fruits, jams/jellies, and tomatoes (with appropriate addition of bottled lemon juice or citric acid).
  • Pressure Canning – necessary for low-acid foods (pH higher than 4.6), such as meats, most vegetables, and combination foods, like soups. Such foods require processing at a higher temperature to destroy botulinum bacteria, which can grow within a sealed jar and produce a deadly toxin.

Another common food preservation method is freezing, which requires little equipment and less time overall than canning. Technically, any produce can be frozen, however, some freeze better than others. Vegetables with lower moisture content such as carrots, corn, beans, and broccoli can be frozen and thawed yielding a nice crispy vegetable. Foods with higher moisture content such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash don’t maintain texture as well, but may be suited for use in sauces or baked goods.

Ideally most vegetables should be blanched before freezing. This technique involves immersing the vegetable into boiling water or steam, followed by quickly cooling, a process which kills bacteria and deactivates enzymes that would promote further ripening/decomposition. Fruits, on the other hand, are usually treated with a form of ascorbic acid or packed in sugar/syrup to prevent browning, the effects caused by enzymes in fresh fruit.

With any form of food preservation, use appropriate storage containers, label, and date your finished product, and enjoy them all year long. Remember. Your summer harvest will add flavor and nutrition to warm fall soups or holiday dinners.

Written by: Jennifer Little, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences and Elizabeth Burkhalter, Dietetic Intern, OSU Extension, Hancock County.

Reviewed by: Shari Gallup, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension, Licking County

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Our Small Changes can Help Our Planet

picture of the earth that says "one world"
Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

There is a recent report out that says the Earth’s climate is changing more rapidly than previously thought. We may reach the critical temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial times by the mid 2030s. We’ve observed that that our last eight years have been the hottest on record. We are also seeing more extreme droughts, flooding and hurricanes in other parts of the country and it’s only going to get worse. We also have the issue of pollution. Trash on roads, beaches, streams, campgrounds, and parks seems to be getting worse every year.

What can we do as consumers? Choose paper over plastic, recycle, buy electric vehicles? These actions might help but only a little since there are trade-offs. For example, paper bags can be composted and break down, but they degrade forests, and are more energy intense to transport. Only a small percent of what we try to recycle is actually recycled. And the issue with buying electric cars is that they also are resource intense to manufacture in terms of resources and water.

The best thing we can ethically do as consumers is to consume less- drive less, fly less, eat less, buy less, take shorter showers, use less electricity. We must consider needs versus wants. I’m a type 1 diabetic so I use a lot of single use plastics and insulin to manage my diabetes. I’m not able or willing to compromise my health. However there might be some other small changes I can do to offset. For example, I can eat less sweets so I won’t need as much insulin, and not use as much diabetes supplies.

Small, simple behavior changes especially related to “wants” versus the “needs” can make a big difference over time. For example, cutting your showers by a few minutes can save many gallons of water over a year, in addition to saving energy. If you need ideas for goals, please see our OSU sustainability resource page for ideas.

Author: Dan Remley, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition and Wellness, Ohio State University Extension

Reviewer: Jessica Lowe, Extension Educator, Pickaway County

Sources:

Diffenbaugh N.S. and Barnes, E.A. (2023). Data-driven predictions of the time remaining until critical global warming thresholds are reached. PNAS 120(6). https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2207183120

World Meteorological Association. (2023). Past eight years confirmed to be the eight warmest on record. Retrieved from https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/past-eight-years-confirmed-be-eight-warmest-record

Eating Out Sustainably

A waiter with two plates of food
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Let’s face it, it’s really nice to eat out sometimes. You don’t have to prepare food or do the dishes, and can order what you want. However, eating out can leave a large footprint on the environment, depending on what you order, how its served, and what you do with leftovers. Food waste, single use items, and resource intense foods contribute to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that you can eat out more sustainably by making some small changes. Here are some easy tips that you can do when eating out to help the environment:

  • Choose more plant based foods, smaller portions of meat and fried foods. Plant based and fresh foods are usually less resource intense to produce. Guess what? They’re healthier too!
  • Refuse single use straws, utensils, cups, and bags. Bring your own reusable ones.
  • Take home leftovers. Food waste contributes to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as it rots in landfills. Bring reusable plastic containers to use as a doggy bag for example.
  • Compost or recycle unsoiled paper products such as pizza lids, bags and boxes.
  • Choose restaurants that you feel are ethical and sustainable. You might have to do a little bit of research. Find out if they support your values. Do they pay workers a livable wage, do they source locally, do they offer healthier and sustainable menu items?
  • In general, try to eat out less often. When you eat out, there is also a chance you are leaving food at home to spoil.

Behavior change is hard, so try not to do too many things all at once. Consider setting some small goals. Small goals can lead to big impacts collectively and over the course of time. Think of all the plastic straws you would save from landfills by refusing them over the rest of your life. Choose goals that are really simple and attainable. For example, make a box of reusable items that you could use at restaurant and place in your car. If you go out to lunch 3 days a week, consider cutting back to one day a week.

Author: Dan Remley, PhD, MSPH, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition, and Wellness

Reviewed by: Jessica Lowe, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County, lowe.495@osu.edu

Sources:

Lobb, Jenny. (2022). Starting the Year with a SMART goal. Retrieved at https://wordpress.com/post/livehealthyosu.com/12600

Sabate, Joan. (2014). Sustainability of Plant-based Diets: Back to the Future. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/100/suppl_1/476S/4576675.

United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.) Food waste and It’s links to Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2022/01/24/food-waste-and-its-links-greenhouse-gases-and-climate-change.

Textile Waste: A fashion faux pas

jeans

It’s always great to see folks celebrate Earth Day! While April 22nd is reserved as the official celebration, there are lots of ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle all year long.

One area that might not come to mind right away is your closet. Did you know that in 2018, over 11 million tons of textile materials ended up in the landfill? Discarded clothing is the primary textile in this municipal solid waste stream, though footwear, sheets, blankets, towels, carpeting, and furniture textiles are also included in the category of solid waste. In total, textile materials account for nearly 8% of all landfill material.

According to the Council for Textile Recycling, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles annually. Only 15% of used textiles are recycled, while 85% go to the landfill.

If you want to set a goal this year to minimize your textile waste, here are some steps you can take:

  1. Reduce. Choose not to purchase new clothes and items that you don’t really need. Consider shopping at secondhand stores when you do need to purchase new clothes.
  2. Reuse. If there are clothes or other textiles in your closet, dresser, or house that are in good condition but no longer fit or that you no longer wear, donate them to a local cause or sell them to a secondhand store.
  3. Recycle. If there are clothes in your closet or items in your house that are not in good enough condition to sell or donate (e.g., clothing or other garments with holes, tears, stains, or significant wear), look for a textile recycling option near you. Some retail stores and clothing brands offer textile recycling in-store or online, and some donation centers will accept unusable items for recycling. Depending on their condition, recycled textiles may be repurposed as secondhand clothing, converted into materials such as wiping rags, or broken down into fiber for home insulation, carpet padding and more.

Whether you choose to reduce your clothing purchases or sell, donate, or recycle your used clothing, minimizing textile waste is a goal we can all work toward in 2022!

Sources:

Council for Textile Recycling. The Lifecycle of Secondhand Clothing. https://www.weardonaterecycle.org/images/clothing-life-cycle.png

Harmony Enterprises, Inc. The facts about textile waste. https://harmony1.com/textile-waste-infographic/

United States Environmental Protection Agency (2021). Textiles: Material-Specific Data. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data

Written by: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Franklin County

Reviewed by: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Perry County

Consider Environmentally Friendly New Years Resolutions

Picture of Trash

I can remember growing up in Michigan in the 70s and 80s, we would get our first snowfall around Thanksgiving, and we wouldn’t see grass until late March. Every year here in southern Ohio, it seems the idea of a white Christmas is a thing of the past. The past decade has seen the warmest average temperatures on record. Climate experts paint an ominous picture for our planets’ future and our overall quality of life. Issues such as plastic pollution and food waste contribute to climate warming and also immediate wellbeing.

If you are looking to set a New Years resolution, consider some ideas that are eco-friendly. Here are a few ideas:

  • Buy and use reusable straws. Keep them on hand and refuse single use straws at restaurants.
  • Stop using single use plastic bags. Keep reusable bags in your cars so you don’t forget them when running into the grocery store.
  • Freeze left overs and use ingredients later in smoothies, soups, etc.
  • Start a compost pile for food waste. Keep an old coffee bin in the kitchen to discard food scraps.
  • Start using bar soap or refill soap containers to avoid purchasing plastic bottles.
  • Reuse glass jars, Tupperware, and beeswax wrap to store food and leftovers instead of single use plastic sandwich bags.
  • Refill a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water.
  • Participate in a neighborhood clean up or roadside garbage pick up.

These are just a few ideas. Small changes can really add up over a lifetime. The actions of millions of people can can collectively reduce the amount of plastic and food going into landfills and contributing to climate change.

Author: Dan Remley, Ph.D., M.S.P.H. Associate Professor, Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Reviewer: Jenny Lobb, M.P.H., Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension

Sources:

Beyond Plastics. (2021). THE NEW COAL: PLASTICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE. REPORT: The New Coal: Plastics & Climate Change — Beyond Plastics – Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution

Ohio State University Extension. Sustainable Action through Video Engagement (S.A.V.E.). Sustainability in the Kitchen. Left-overs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlDXy80yraY

Ohio State University Extension. Sustainable Action through Video Engagement (S.A.V.E.). Sustainability in the Kitchen: Single Use Plastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CangcvETxk

Ohio State University Extension. Sustainable Action through Video Engagement (S.A.V.E.).Composting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lOMPTRj7eE

Our Plastic Problem

Beach clean-ups can be exciting events with a large turnout where volunteers remove lots of waste. Sometimes there are bulky items; car tires, shopping carts, or shoes that people have left behind. I attended a clean-up recently and I am proud to report that there was little litter. My fellow Ohioans are removing the waste they bring with them. Since there were no big messes to clean up, we were able to spend more time on smaller things.

We spent two hours picking through the natural debris for small pieces of plastic. There were bottle caps, sandwich bags, and broken pieces of foam. For many of the plastic pieces, the source was unidentifiable. Trash found in and around our Great Lakes is called marine debris.

Plastic is the most common type of marine debris found in the ocean and our Great Lakes. Lake Erie breaks plastic down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics.  Microplastics are plastic pieces less than five millimeters long. The smaller the plastics, the harder they are to clean up and remove from the environment.

Plastic marine debris can have negative impacts on our bodies and those of other living organisms. Animals can mistake plastics for food. The smallest animal on our planet, zooplankton, has been shown to ingest microplastics. We also eat, drink, and breathe microplastics every day. 

One study found that microplastics were in 90% of table salts. Another study estimates that we consume a credit card worth of plastic each week. We do not yet know all the harmful effects of consuming plastic, but scientists say that it likely exposes us to harmful chemicals.

We can make an impact by seeking opportunities to reduce or cut plastics products from our lives. When eliminating is not possible, be sure to dispose of items properly and in ways that reduce the risk of entering our environments. Lakes in Ohio are some of the best resources we have available. Our individual choices can help keep our Great Lake and our bodies healthy!

Written by: Courtney Woelfl, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Cuyahoga County

Reviewed by: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Franklin County

References

Bartolotta, J. F. (2018, March 18). Plastic is Fantastic… Or So We Thought. Ohio Sea Grant College Program. https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/products/twn25/plastic-is-fantasic-or-so-we-thought.

Loria, K. (2019, August 13). How to Eat Less Plastic. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/health-wellness/how-to-eat-less-plastic-microplastics-in-food-water/.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2008, November 14). What is marine debris? NOAA’s National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/marinedebris.html.

NOAA. What are microplastics? National Ocean Service website, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html, 04/13/16.

Parker, L. (2021, May 3). Microplastics found in 90 percent of table salt: potential health impacts? Environment. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/microplastics-found-90-percent-table-salt-sea-salt.

The Ethical Decisions We Make Everyday Around Food

Man thinking about a tangerine

As consumers, we all are philosophers whether we know it or not. We practice philosophy at the grocery store, the restaurant, when we prepare meals, when we eat, and when we dispose of unused food. We practice food ethics. Our decisions, actions, and judgements about food are guided by a set of values, and are made for the perceived common good for ourselves, often our families, and perhaps the larger community and society. The set of food values that we prioritize in our decision making differs from person to person, stage of life, culture, and situation. Food values and their definitions include:

Healthfulness– Healthy foods are nutrient dense and minimally processed (low in fat, sodium, added sugar, and high in fiber).

Safety– Preparation minimizes cross contamination, foods have been cooked to proper temperature, foods are stored properly, food packages are not spoiled or damaged.

Quality– Foods are fresh, visually appealing, and/ or tasteful.

Food Waste Avoidance– Foods should not rot, expire, or become inedible. Food should be consumed only by humans. Foods not eaten can be composted and used to produce more food.

Low Cost– Foods are inexpensive per unit (ounce, calorie, etc).

Convenience– Foods are easy to prepare. Foods are easy to store, or have a long shelf life. Minimal time and effort is needed to acquire food.

Social and Cultural Acceptability– Foods are preferred by a cultural group. Foods are acceptable according to religious beliefs. Foods are accessed appropriately according to cultural or social standards and without stigma. Foods can easily be stored, prepared, and consumed using available resources and knowledge.

Localness– Foods that stimulate the local economy via local production and retail. Foods that stimulate social connections between producers and consumers.

Environmental Sustainability- Food is produced, acquired, and consumed in ways that preserve environmental value for future generations. Limits water pollution and soil degradation. Preserves fossil fuels and fresh water. Reduces greenhouse gas emission.

Workers Rights– Food is produced by workers who receive fair compensation, have legal rights, and opportunities for education and advancement. Farms and factories are safe and clean.

Animal Welfare– Meat production avoids cruelty at animal housing, transport, and slaughter.

Food For Thought…What are your top five values when making decisions about food? Have they changed over the course of your life? Perhaps there is a value that you hadn’t thought much about, and would like to do some more research on. Have you ever noticed that your values conflict with those of others in your family or community?

Conversations Starters…Looking for something to talk about at the dinner table? Pass out this list and ask your family members what their top 5 food values are. You might find that youth have a completely different set of values than you have. Older generations also might have different values as well. After listening to everyone’s top values, lead off your questions by asking “what, how, why” and withhold judgement. By listening and learning about their values, you can learn about the experiences and attitudes of different generations. These conversations might also change your values when it comes to food.

Author: Dan Remley, PhD, MSPH Associate Professor, Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Reviewed by: Susan Zies, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Wood County

Sources:

Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Core Ethical Commitments. Accessed on 5/11/2021 at Core Ethical Commitments – Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (jhu.edu)

Streiffer, R., Piso, Z., Sweeney, G., Remley, D., & Forcone, T. (2007). An Expanded Understanding of the Ethical Importance of Civic Engagement in Food Sourcing Decisions at the Institutional Level. Internal Medicine, 22(7), 1018-23.