You wouldn't shun someone because they were less than physically "perfect," would you? No, of course not.
You probably wouldn't even shun an animal who was born with a defect or condition that made it look a little different. After all, they're just as capable and deserving of love — like this chihuahua in a wheelchair.
So why shun an "ugly" fruit or vegetable?
You might be thinking, "But fruits and vegetables aren't animals. They don't have feelings!"
That might be true, but the repercussions of tossing ugly produce are actually way worse than hurt feelings. About 20% of produce grown in the U.S. never leaves the farm; it's thrown out because it doesn't look the part.
That means that hundreds of thousands of perfectly edible, nutritious foods are landing in the garbage. And that's while people all over the world, including the U.S., are going hungry.
When they learned about this, three entrepreneurs from California decided to do something about all this ugly (or, as they call it, "wonky") produce going to waste.
They started Imperfect Produce, a subscription service that takes all those wonky fruits and veggies from farms and delivers them right to your door — all at half price.
Check out what Imperfect Produce is doing to combat food waste in the U.S. — and some of the weird produce they're rescuing!
(H/T: Lost At E Minor)
You might not realize it, but most produce only makes it to the supermarket if it has a certain look. That's why most of the produce you'll see at the store typically looks the same.
You're much less likely to see peppers like these, for example.
All across the country, fruits and vegetables that don't meet supermarkets' standards are tossed.
But while they might be twisted, bumpy, and weird, they're totally edible and full of flavor and nutrition, just like their prettier counterparts.
About 20%, or one-in-five, produce items get thrown out.
And if you know how much produce is grown in the U.S., you know that's a seriously huge amount of food.
Sure, they might not win any beauty contests, but that's not really a good enough reason to waste so much food, Imperfect Produce says — especially with so many people in need.
After all, even if they look funny, these fruits and veggies still love you.
Even if they look like aliens.
They're still full of the vitamins and nutrients that people need to have a healthy, balanced diet.
Located in California's Bay Area, Imperfect Produce collects "cosmetically challenged" produce from local farms. This also gives local farmers a financial boost!
The fruits and vegetables are packed up and delivered right to the door of Imperfect Produce's subscribers. A 10-to-14-pound box of produce is only $12!
Subscribers can choose from all-fruit, all-vegetable, or a mix. A larger box is $18, and subscribers get deliveries once a week.
And even though these boxes are full of tiny apples, lumpy tomatoes, and leggy carrots, none of that makes a bit of difference once they've been turned into beautiful meals.
On their Instagram, Imperfect Produce shares the meals their customers have created using these "rescued" fruits and veggies.
For example, it doesn't matter how lumpy your kiwis are when you turn them into delicious sorbet!
And while they might not be "good enough" for a supermarket, there's always something unique and charming to find in a box of ugly produce.
Right now, Imperfect Produce is only available to those in the Bay Area, but we hope the trend catches on!
You can check out more about this company on their website, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.
SHARE these quirky veggies with your friends, and show some love to that weird-looking tomato the next time you go food shopping.
