What will you do differently in the future to be more eco-friendly, green, and sustainable in celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 2026? Many eco-minded people believe and live life as if every day is Earth Day. Maybe it is because they tune into their common sense, consciousness, and creative higher spirit to realize that we are intelligent beings and should act like it, doing intelligent things to protect the planet we depend on for survival. Remember… Earth is the resource and source of our happiness, health, and home, and there is no Plan B or Planet B to rebuild, relocate to, or rely on. The more we can all do to be more earth-friendly and eco-conscious, the better our chances of maintaining and sustaining our quality of life on this perfect planet for people.
It is easy in our consumer-driven, fast-paced, and modern technology-oriented world to forget that we depend on and only need a few basics like clean air, food, shelter, soil, and water to sustain our happiness and health. When we realize that almost everything else the corporate marketing propaganda and public relations companies promote is a destructive, distracting, and disturbing force in the life force of the universe.
Some Food Waste is Smart Food Wellness
Consider these examples as beneficial food that has been labeled as food waste:
- Apples are a potent source of nutrition. Apples also provide us with apple cider vinegar, apple seeds, and apple skin, all of which offer various nutritional benefits. Buy organic apples and eat the core and peel
- Apricot pits are like small almonds and are a nutrient-dense source of enzymes, fats, minerals, phyto-nutrients, trace elements, and vitamins.
- Avocado seeds are often discarded, even though they are a rich source of minerals and polyphenols.
- Bananas and the peels are a good source of magnesium, phyto-nutrients, and potassium. Instead of throwing the peel away, try using it to make a nutritious sleep-aid tea. Over-ripe bananas make great banana bread.
- Beans are a great food, and bean leaves often go to waste. The leaves of different bean plants are a delicious and nutritious source of carbs, chlorophyll, fiber, and protein.
- Beet tops are often thrown out. The beet greens and stems are a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients.
- Bones make great bone broth and soup. Consider using those chicken, beef, lamb, and turkey bones.
- Broccoli stems are often discarded even though they are a great source of fiber.
- Cabbage is one of the most budget-friendly veggies, and leaves and thick stems are great sauteed or in soups and stews.
- Carrots are often peeled, and this beneficial carrot skin goes to waste. Consider buying organic carrots and eating all of them.
- Celery base, roots, and tops are often discarded, even though they offer additional nutritional benefits.
- Chard stems are often discarded. When finely sliced, they make a nice steamed veggie.
- Chicken feet are typically avoided in the US. In many countries, it is a delicacy and a nutrient powerhouse.
- Cilantro leaves, seeds, and stems are great in guacamole.
- Coffee grinds are usually tossed into the garbage. What if you used them to make a diluted coffee-flavored tea or a compost fertilizer tea for your garden and houseplants?
- Dandelions are a food and nutritious wild weed hiding in plain sight. The flowers, leaves, and roots are a great source of medicinal benefits.
- Fruits that have cuts, defects, and deformations end up going to waste instead of being salvaged.
- Grapes are a fantastic fruit. Grape leaves and seeds mostly go to waste in spite of having many medicinal benefits.
- Grapefruit is often cut for spooning it out. The peel, pith, and pulp provide additional nutritional benefits that are often discarded. The seeds are a super star when it comes to health benefits,
- Green coconuts provide a refreshing beverage: coconut water. Did you know the coconut flesh is often wasted? Consuming coconut flesh is one of the best nutritional benefits.
- Green leafy plants like callaloo (amaranth), collards, kale, and mustard grow in gardens and the wild, and are often treated with herbicides and pesticides, and overlooked as nutrient-dense foods.
- Lemon juice is just one part of a lemon. The peel, pith, and pulp provide additional nutritional benefits that are often discarded.
- Lime juice is just one part of a lime. The peel, pith, and pulp provide additional nutrient-dense benefits that normally go to waste.
- Mango seeds are normally discarded. Did you know the nut inside the seed makes a great beauty product?
- Onion green tops are often cut off and discarded rather than used in recipes.
- Orange juice is just one part of an orange. The peel, pith, and pulp provide additional nutritional benefits that are often discarded.
- Organ meat is often avoided or discarded. The gizzard, heart, kidneys, liver, and tongue are excellent sources of nutrition.
- Papaya seeds are typically discarded. They make a medicinal tea and peppery seasoning with numerous health benefits.
- Parsley is often used as a garnish on plates of other foods. Many people throw it away without realizing it is a rich source of chlorophyll, fiber, and nutrients.
- Peach pits are similar to almonds and provide a host of beneficial minerals and micronutrients.
- Peels, scraps, and the tops of many vegetables are routinely tossed into the garbage instead of being repurposed.
- Pineapple cores are normally thrown away. This area offers a major bonus: beneficial bromelain, a super beneficial nutrient that supports digestion.
- Plums are a very beneficial fruit, dried or fresh. Plum pits are similar to almonds and provide a bonus of beneficial minerals and micronutrients.
- Pomegranate juice is a powerful source of nutrition, and so are the peel and seeds, which normally go to waste.
- Potato skins are often thrown out, despite research suggesting they may contain more nutrients than the potato’s flesh.
- Pumpkin flesh, seeds, and skin are often discarded during Halloween. Raw pumpkin seeds provide a powerhouse of bonus nutrition. The flesh makes great pumpkin bread and soup.
- Root vegetables with cuts, defects, and deformations that end up going to waste instead of being salvaged.
- Salmon bones, heads, roe, and skin are often discarded. All of them are valuable health resources and can provide beneficial nutrition.
- Sweet potato tops are typically thrown away. Did you know they can be used to grow sweet potato plants that have edible leaves?
- Watermelon is delicious and nutritious. The rind and seeds also provide beneficial nutrition.
- Wine is a wholesale waste of grape leaves, seeds, skin, and stems that contain resveratrol, a powerful superstar antioxidant that many people pay high prices for as a supplement. The grapes would be a better source of nutrient-dense, whole foods instead of being used to make expensive alcohol with adverse health consequences.
Helpful Hints
Have you considered using your fruit and veggie scraps to make a great compost for flower pots, gardens, and tower gardens? Did you realize some of what you think is food waste can be blended into smoothies?
What will motivate you to update and upgrade your nutrition choices? Morningstar NEWS finds the research, resources, and role models to help you create a Mastery Action Plan (MAP) for any of the eight areas in your Wheel of Life to help you enjoy more rapid results. For a happier and healthier life, focus on nutrient-dense organic whole foods. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, maybe we should eat more apples.
Mastery Action Plan (MAP)
What food and lifestyle choices will you make now to be healthier? How will a written Code of Conduct Centered on Nutrition help you make better decisions? What will it take for you to get your 5 fruits and veggies a Day?
Passion for People & Planet
Morningstar NEWS’s passion and purpose are to condense hundreds of hours of reading and research into two minutes of education, information, and inspiration. We encourage you to focus more on your lifestyle and nutrition. Remember… we are what we eat… choose wisely.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”―
“To Make America Healthy Again will involve a lifestyle and mental mindset shift to help people eat more like their healthy ancestors instead of the big corporate driven profit products in the Standard American Diet (SAD).” —Michael Morningstar
Next Morningstar NEWS blog
The Morningstar NEWS team remains highly focused on selling our Belize land and publishing only one blog per month in 2026 to concentrate on research, resources, and role models for identifying land for an eco-zone retreat and wellness center in Puerto Rico, Texas, or Tennessee that is accessible to more people. We traveled to Puerto Rico in August to review land and meet with local resources. Who do you know that may be interested in joining our wellness team and tribe?
PS: Thank you for your helpful support in 2025. After benefiting from one idea, please comment, like, and share this blog via the social media links, as family and friends will also benefit from the Morningstar NEWS blog.
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