1.8 million metric tons of food waste produced annually! Stack up 1017 Mount Everests

According to statistics, for every 5 mouthfuls of food, 2 are thrown into the food waste bin, resulting in 1.8 million metric tons of food waste each year. If the food waste bins are 1 meter high, they can be piled up to form 1,017 Mount Everests. In order to solve the annoying problem of kitchen waste in households, nutritionists at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital use common peels such as white radish stems, carrot skins, celery leaves, and bean dregs to make delicious dishes such as "Freshly Fried Radish Tops", "Vegetarian Pineapple Meatballs", and "Homemade Pancakes", encouraging the public not to waste any precious food and to do their part for environmental protection.

Director Gao Ruihe of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital called for: “Eat 80% full, and 20% to help others; zero food waste, healthy and environmentally friendly.

Director Gao Ruihe of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital called for: "Eat 80% full, 20% to help others; zero food waste, healthy and environmentally friendly." In Taiwan, many people will pour all the leftover rice and vegetables into the food waste bin. Faced with food waste and famine, from a medical and health perspective, eating 80% full is most in line with the body's needs. Turning the 20% of food into love and leaving it to those in need will not cause food waste problems.

Nutritionist Zhang Huifang from Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital said that white radish is a common food in Taiwan all year round, but radish stems and radish skins are commonly discarded ingredients in households. In fact, radish stems are rich in fiber, vitamin C and sulfide minerals. In addition to lowering cholesterol, they can also reduce cell oxidation and have a good anti-cancer effect. Homemade pancakes made with bean dregs, carrot peels, and celery leaves not only contain very few calories in the bean dregs, but are also rich in fiber which can promote the metabolism of cholesterol in the body and reduce the absorption of cholesterol. Adding carrot peels rich in carotene and celery leaves containing more than ten kinds of nutrients not only makes them nutritious but also enhances the taste, color and aroma.

In addition, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital nutritionist Lin Huimin specifically introduced the 12 principles of the new version of the "Daily Dietary Guidelines" and "Vegetarian Dietary Guidelines" announced by the Department of Health in 2011. In addition to advocating a balanced intake of six major food groups and less fried, fat, and pickled food, and more water, special emphasis is placed on avoiding sugary drinks and consuming at least 1/3 of whole grains every day. At the same time, the public is also reminded to pay attention to food source labels so that they can eat healthily only when they comply with hygiene and safety standards.

◎How to make a happy and cherishing dish

Freshly stir-fried radish tops - soak the stems of the white radish in salt water for about 30 minutes, rub the tips to remove the astringency and cut into cubes. Stir-fry with simple ginger and pepper powder to season. It has an unexpectedly delicious taste like "bean curd".

Vegetarian pine balls - Steam the remaining bean dregs from grinding soy milk, put them into a pan and dry-fry for about 30 minutes, then add (spicy) bean paste or vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar and other seasonings to make delicious vegetarian pine balls, which is both economical and delicious. The extended uses of vegetarian pine were demonstrated on site. Leftover rice at home can be used to make cute vegetarian pine balls, which are convenient for breakfast or picnic snacks, and children can also make them together.

Homemade pancakes - use common carrot peels, celery leaves, steamed bean dregs, etc., add a little flour and mix with eggs, then fry over low heat until both sides are golden brown. Add soy sauce paste for seasoning before eating. It can be eaten as breakfast or a snack for children.