'Nourish' partners with restaurants to curb food waste by delivering meals to those in need

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- According to Feeding America, around 40% of all food is wasted in the United States, while we know millions are going hungry.

Restaurants are said to be a big part of the problem, but Executive Chef Shawney Severns from North Italia explained how they can also be part of the solution.

A program called "Nourish" partners with local North Italia restaurants to control food waste by using ride-share companies to deliver fresh food to food-insecure families, unhoused individuals, and veterans in the community.

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It's restaurant-quality food that winds up on the dinner tables of those in need instead of in the garbage.

"We have the ability to make such an impact as a company. In January alone, we donated roughly 8,900 pounds of food, which translated directly into 7,400 meals," Severns said. "The ability we have to impact our community in just the Houston community, let alone the United States, is really incredible, and we're all really excited about it."

To limit food waste, experts recommend meal planning, staying up to date on expiration dates, freezing food before it spoils, and embracing leftovers.

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