Imperfect Fit

Those pyramids of perfect peppers have a hidden cost: small, misshapen or oddly coloured specimens can end up rotting on a farmer’s field or in the dumpster. Turning the page, Loblaws now celebrates these outcasts of the produce aisle. At their affiliated supermarkets, you can find curvy carrots, runty apples, and lumpy potatoes at a discount under the No Name Naturally Imperfect Produce label. The line has been so successful that they’ve expanded into frozen fruits including mixed berries and mango. After all, if it’s going into soup or a smoothie, who cares what it looks like?

Reducing food waste is one of the most important issues of our time. From smart shopping to dining on discards, here’s how to help at home.