The below content replicates the content of the physical exhibit at CSU Spur. It can be used for reference, language translation, and additional accessibility.
Consumption: The Value of Food
Buying, cooking, eating, and enjoying food is all part of the last stage in the Sustainable Food System: consumption. Some of your food took a long journey to get to your plate. Now, let’s explore more about the importance of the food we eat every day.
Panel B
Food is life! Preparing a well-balanced meal with family and friends keeps us healthy and brings us closer by establishing traditions.
My Plate: Food Choices
MyPlate.gov has information and resources we can use to help us choose a healthy mix of food for our plate.
Image caption: Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Consumption: Build A Plate
Complete your plate! Choose two sides and one main dish to get at least one fruit, vegetable, protein, dairy, and grain for a complete and delicious meal.
Side Dish:
- Avocado
- Carrots
- Yogurt
Main Dish:
- Chicken and Cheese Nachos
- Chef’s Salad with Cheese
- Tamales with beans and veggies
Side Dish:
- Cornbread
- Peach
- Green Beans
Panel E
Food is fun! Making healthy food is good for your body and mind. Let’s learn more about the foods we can choose to eat.
Reading a Nutrition Label
Suggested serving size and information
Calories in each serving
Vitamins and minerals in the food
Daily Value percentage guide
- 5% or less is low
- 20% or more is high
Every bite counts
A daily mix of fruits, veggies, grains, proteins, and foods with calcium helps our body get the nutrition it needs.
Nutrition: food facts
Nutrition Fact labels show us the number of calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals that the foods we eat have in them. Reading nutrition labels can help us choose foods that keep our bodies healthy.
Passionate about food? Explore careers in food consumption!
- Chef
- Food Server
- Baker
- Food Nutritionist
- Food Truck Operator
- Restaurant Manager
Food consumption: careers
There are many different jobs in food consumption. From cooking food, to studying it, to serving it—there is an entire world of food careers waiting for you to explore!
Limiting food waste for a sustainable future
Food waste is food we throw away. Reducing food waste is an important part of creating a Sustainable Food System. Farmers, ranchers, processors, and distributors are working to reduce waste, and we all can help!
Image caption: Leftovers and foods that go bad often end up in the trash. We can all reduce our own food waste by eating food before it goes bad and composting food that we don’t eat!
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About 68% of the food we throw away ends up in the landfill. That’s almost 43 million tons every year across the world!
Image caption: We can all help reduce food waste! For example, some stores donate unsold bakery items (like bread) to farms that can be added to their animal feed.
Ways to reduce food waste
- Only buy what you need
- Preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables
- Eat your leftovers
- Compost food you don’t eat
