We Apparently Waste Food Because We Love Our Families Too Much

"Hey Mom, are you trying to feed a family or an army?"

If this sounds familiar, you're probably a victim of excessive food waste as a byproduct of parental affection. Approximately 40 percent of the food Americans produce is wasted. This statistic has been going around for a while, and while there have been many solutions suggested, one new study claims that the reason behind excessive food waste is familial love.

A new study conducted by researchers at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab along with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the Sao Paulo-based Getulio Vargas Foundation, claim that food waste is connected to a loving family household. We tend to make more food than necessary because we see preparing large meals and snacks as part of "being a good parent." Never mind that when the food is not eaten, it gets thrown away, and we end up hurting the environment more than helping our kids grow up strong and healthy.

This research should probably be taken with a grain of salt, however, because the researchers only analyzed the food storage, preparation and disposal behaviors of 20 homes with lower-middle income household levels.

"It's reassuring to serve food in large portions," Dr. Gustavo Porpino told HuffPost. "It has the symbolism of wealth. It is a form to distance themselves from the state of poverty."