Who wastes the most food, healthy eaters or junk-food lovers?

Eating more vegetables, fruits and other nutrientrich foods is unquestionably beneficial when it comes to your health.

However, according to a recent study published in PLOS One, people who follow “higher quality diets” also generate the most food waste.

The link between diet quality and food waste comes down to the fact that vegetables and fruits are misused more frequently than other categories of food, study co-author Meredith Niles said in a statement. “Eating healthy is important, and brings many benefits, but as we pursue these diets, we must think much more consciously about food waste,” she said.

The results of the study showed that in the U.S., fruits, vegetables and mixed dishes of both represent roughly 39 per cent of total daily food waste. The second most squandered category is dairy (17 per cent), followed by meat (14 per cent), and grains (12 per cent).

Processed foods such as candy, soft drinks, and salty snacks, as well as potatoes, soup, nuts and eggs account for less than 10 per cent of total. Although lower quality diets are associated with less food waste, the researchers also pointed out the negative implications, including “low nutritional value and higher rates of cropland wasted.”

The study found that the average American wastes nearly one pound (454 grams) of food each day. Earlier this month, Canadians’ grappled with the fact that when it comes to food waste, we’re among the world’s worst offenders. And retail behemoth Walmart recently committed to “zero food waste” in Canadian stores by 2025.

The researchers emphasize the importance of consumer education in preparation and storage, as well as the ability to assess whether a food has gone off or is superficially damaged. Niles points to ugly produce campaigns such as “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables,” which rolled out in Intermarché, France’s third largest supermarket chain.

“Food waste is an issue that plays out at many different levels. Looking at them holistically will become increasingly important to finding sustainable ways of meeting the needs of a growing world population,” the study’s lead author Zach Conrad said.