Omaha Steaks Doesn't Want You To Throw Out Meat On The Fourth

When the weather is warm and the days are long, there's no need for a special occasion to fire up the grill and dine al fresco. Even so, there's nothing like a holiday weekend to inspire grill owners to go all-out for a barbecue, so we have no doubt that backyard party hosts already have a handle on their grocery lists for the Fourth of July. But even the most seasoned flame masters among us can make grilling mistakes, and we're not talking about forgetting a meat thermometer or neglecting to clean the grates. According to a study commissioned by Omaha steaks (via PR Newswire), the eyes of home cooks are often bigger than the stomachs of their dinner guests when it comes to hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, and other grill-able meat. As a result, a whole lot of Americans end up throwing out a whole lot of fresh meat each month. 

One solution to this problem could be to follow in the footsteps of cookbook author and food celeb Carla Lalli Music, whose YouTube channel has a number of vegetarian grilling ideas. For those who don't want to forgo meat on the Fourth, however, Omaha Steaks has another idea for consumers who want to cut back on waste. 

A Harris Poll of 2,000 American adults, conducted on behalf of Omaha Steaks last March, suggested that 76% of Americans get revved up for grilling in the summer months (via PR Newswire). Of that group, 48% admitted to throwing out raw and fresh meat each month, which one can imagine culminates in high numbers on grill-friendly summer holidays. For example, WalletHub writes that Americans buy 750 million pounds of chicken and consume 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day. How much gets thrown away?

In addition to the mind-blowing food waste, the Harris Poll shows that Americans throw away "between $11 and $50" every month. If the average American grills roughly six months out of the year, as the poll suggests, tossing their meat is setting them back between roughly $70 and $300 a year. The Fourth of July can be particularly pricy. In 2021, people spent an estimated $675 million on beef and $281 million on chicken.

Instead of guessing how much meat to throw on the grill, Omaha Steaks suggests stocking up on "flash-frozen quality meat" that'll keep for anywhere from four months to a year, per the FDA. "It's a simple solution your favorite restaurants and chefs use, and home cooks can benefit from too," said Omaha Steaks executive chef David Rose. When shopping for a barbecue, frozen meat might be the more sustainable option.