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Characterizing Early Adolescent Plate Waste Using the Mobile Food Record
Chloe E Panizza1, Carol J Boushey2, Edward J Delp3
1University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. cpanizza@hawaii.edu.
Nutrients
|January 31, 2017
Summary
Early adolescent girls generated minimal plate waste, with less than 10% discarded daily. Mobile food records (mFR) effectively tracked food waste and disposal habits in this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Plate waste is a significant environmental and economic concern.
- Understanding adolescent food waste is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Mobile food records (mFR) offer real-time data collection potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify plate waste among early adolescent girls.
- To determine how plate waste was disposed of.
- To evaluate the utility of mFR for assessing food waste.
Main Methods:
- A three-day mobile food record (mFR) was used to estimate food selection and leftovers.
- Leftover food was categorized by disposal method (trash, pet, later, other).
- Statistical analyses (ANOVA, Tukey's post-hoc) examined waste patterns across meal times.
Main Results:
- The highest percentage of food leftover and discarded occurred at lunch.
- Unexpectedly low percentages of protein, grain, vegetables, fruit, and dairy were leftover at lunch.
- The median percentage of food thrown into the trash was consistently low (<10%) throughout the day.
Conclusions:
- Early adolescent girls generated minimal plate waste, with most food consumed.
- Mobile food records (mFR) provide a feasible method for real-time food waste assessment.
- Further research using real-time technology can enhance the quantification of adolescent plate waste.
