To be or not to be – compost worthy? That is the question Hamlet might pose if the play were written in 2010 and his so-called “sea of troubles”  meant environmental destruction such as the Gulf spill, coral devastation or floating plastic islands. In a time of waste not, we need to question when it is okay to throw away food to produce fertilizer or other sustainable uses.

Since the old directive to clean our plates no longer applies (not in a nation fighting an epidemic of obesity) we end up with a lot of extra food on our plates and tables. Sometimes the portions we serve kids and guests are too abundant. We are left to decide whether or not to wrap up leftovers, feed them to hungry pets or grab the kitchen bin to make mulch.

Don’t let it go to the dogs!

Most experts would agree table leftovers are rarely good for our dogs, despite the fact it feels good to share. “Smoky loves turkey,” my daughters coo, often tossing our pug a handful of meat or a bone. According to Pet Education, a morsel off your plate here and there probably won’t hurt, but most people don’t stop there with those perpetual, adorable moochers. And even healthy organic cuisine recommended for us might not go down so well with God’s other creatures. What about your other pets? Find more info here.

“Feed me more tofu and lentils!”

“The rich foods we eat can wreak havoc on your dog’s digestive tract,” warns Animal Planet. “A simple, consistent diet keeps their system functioning as it should. Throw in your very different foods and spices and do not be surprised if your dog has bad gas, bad breath, loose stools, etc.” Hey, none of those side effects are any fun when your little guy sleeps on your bed. That pertains to big guys, too!

Was the food untouched?

Sometimes the scraps we save for ourselves can be bad for the system, too, depending on who dined on them, how long they sat out, and if the cat licked them with her scratchy tongue while standing on the table with her cat litter-covered contaminated feet. My cat learned to mooch from my pug and she is relentless.

I have a few rules about the scraps. For one thing, I never save anything a baby has sucked on because of the gross factor. Sure, I licked my own babies’ toes, but that is different from their soggy, 1/4 eaten Noah’s bagel.

In terms of wrapping it to go in my fridge or pantry, I consider it if it was just my family that at the meal. If that ‘s the case,  I’m obviously more inclined to fridge that other untouched half of a perfectly good turkey sandwich, bowl of pasta or veggie fried rice. I know when my children are healthy, and when they are teeming with germs, they don’t usually eat at the family table. I try to clear the table dishes before animals can get to the food (yes, even when the finale of The Office is starting) and use my best judgment to decide if the saved food will really get eaten. If it won’t, it makes more sense to recycle it as compost, and very rarely does it simply go down the drain.

Guest who’s not eating their dinner?

When guests dine at our table, it is a different story. Call it squeamishness, but I’m more hesitant to save plated food because of fear of germs. Blood is thicker than water and the leftovers of those with different blood can be repugnant. Still, it’s painful to toss a hardly touched plate, and on occasion, I save food off kids’ plates because they simply didn’t eat much and their hands were clean when they sat down. A second helping of macaroni ignored; a bowl of fruit shunned; an ample helping of broccoli that never entered the mouth of steel. I see no problem with keeping those items for dinner or breakfast, or doing what chefs do, and recycling them for a soup or other new dish.

Hunger versus health.

I guess it comes down to what you can stomach and afford. I’ve heard that hungry waiters and other staff working in snazzy Berkeley restaurants often scarf up the five-star fillets and fudge cake barely eaten by a customer. They’re not letting those dishes artfully composed by a celebrity chef go down the drain.

Then again, every day, businesses trash completely untouched food because of health codes. I’ve watched a Noah’s Bagels in my San Francisco hood at closing time unload boxes of bagels into a dumpster on the street.

The final extreme is my ungreen mother, who insists upon throwing out anything left on the table, and even cleaning untouched plates and utensils because they were exposed to the air and potential germs. We all make up our own rules. Ideally, the ones we enforce will result in healthy bodies and a healthy planet.

Images: Jbloom, Pet Education, 1000 Heads

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Rewarding a begging pup with leftovers from the table? A definite don’t. But most veterinarians will agree that some food scraps are okay to put in your pet’s bowl. And from an eco standpoint, giving your dog your kitchen scraps as a treat is a great alternative to sending them to a landfill and is much easier than composting. Holistic veterinarian Jean Hofve, and co-author of The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care: An Illustrated Handbook, breaks down the differences between what’s okay to feed your cats, dogs and rabbits and what you should stay away from.

Dogs

Lucky dogs can get nutrients from lots of fruits and vegetables, but Hofve says they should be cooked or finely pureed to aid digestion. One exception? Raw carrots. If your dog likes to chew on them, they do double duty cleaning canine teeth.

Since dogs are carnivores, meat is a good thing to pass off. Raw meat is okay since most pets can handle meat’s natural bacteria in small amounts, but cooked meat is equally good. Stay away from fatty pieces, anything that’s been cooked with onions or a large amount of garlic, and pick lean pieces instead. Too much fat can cause problems in the pancreas. If you’re trimming beef or poultry, for example, and you want to pass off the tough white connective tissue to your dog, go for it, but leave the fat and skin to the trash. Another smart pass off is egg yolks. If you eat egg whites and typically toss the yolk down the drain, pop it in the microwave until cooked, cool and put in your pup’s bowl.

Cats

Even though you might think your cat is waiting for leftover ahi tuna, you might be surprised how eager felines are to feast on cantaloupe and asparagus. “One of my own cats recently passed up leftover fresh halibut, but ate all the asparagus ends on the plate,” says Hofve. Like with dogs, cats can also eat cooked eggs or other lean meats, but follow the rules given above for dogs.

Rabbits

As you might know, rabbits are strict vegetarians, but that doesn’t mean all veggies are okay for them to eat. In fact, what many think are rabbit staples – lettuce, spinach and cabbage – could upset your bunny’s belly. And while timothy hay or pelleted feed should remain the main diet, Hofve says rabbits love fresh berries, dandelion greens and carrots. Because bunny’s have little stomachs one or two baby carrots or four or five blueberries is plenty. Besides salad greens, you should skip plants of the nightshade family like tomatoes and peppers, starchy produce like sweet potatoes and bananas, and canned fruits or veggies which have too much sugar and salt respectively.

Remember, “your pets shouldn’t be an alternative garbage can, but sharing any leftovers – food that’s fit for you to eat, but you just don’t want to, is fine,” Hofve says. “Don’t give your pets anything that is moldy or spoiled. If it’s not safe for you, assume it’s not safe for your pets.”

Images: broma, Got Sarah, Carly & Art

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