Former Trader Joe's president Doug Rauch is planning to open a store that sells expired food[1] . His project, called The Daily Table, will be a hybrid of a grocery store and a restaurant[2] , Rauch told NPR. The store will sell prepared food, along with fruits and vegetables.


Rauch's inspiration for the store comes from the massive amount of food people waste every day. A 2012 report found that consumers trash up to 40 percent of their food[3] . Last week, a new report was published detailing the futility of food expiration dates[4] . The researchers found that date labels are confusing and lead consumers to trash food that is perfectly good to eat.


Rauch told the Boston Globe that many inexpensive meals available are often unhealthy.[5] For that reason, The Daily Table will be aimed at lower-income consumers in the Boston area.


It might be an uphill battle, though -- Barbara Haber writes for Zester Daily that while Rauch's initiative is well-meaning, it may be hard to convince people to eat food unwanted by other establishments[6] .


Haber has a point, but if the food is healthy, tasty and affordable, we certainly would give it a shot.


Learn more over at NPR[7] .



Also on HuffPost:




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  • Corn


    With summer corn coming into season, we will all have a ton of corn cobs on our hands. You don't have to throw these away. Use the cobs for a base to make a silky corn soup. The milky "corn juice" comes out of the cobs when you simmer them in a pot and can add a deeper flavor than chicken stock. Try it with this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/corn-chowder_n_1056611.html" target="_hplink">corn chowder recipe</a>.




  • Pickle Juice


    If you make homemade pickles, you should know that you can reuse your brine. Once you've eaten up your batch of pickled vegetables, save the juice to throw in new vegetables. It's double the pickles for the same amount of brine.




  • Shrimp


    Shrimp peels and tails are great to hold on to. Whether you're looking to make a seafood stew or just a simple tomato soup, they make flavorful stocks. Store them in the freezer and you'll always have something on hand to make a good homemade stock.




  • Potato Chips


    When your <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/broccoli-slaw_n_1048994.html" target="_hplink">potato chips</a> lose their crunch, they can still be used to make a great breading for chicken, fish or vegetables. Crumble them up and use them as you would bread crumbs.




  • Broccoli Stems


    Most of us use the broccoli florets and throw out the stems, but these stems can be used to make a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/broccoli-slaw_n_1048994.html" target="_hplink">refreshing summer slaw</a>. Ever notice that the grocery store sells bags of slaw? It's often times made with broccoli stems.




  • Fresh Herbs


    More often than not we buy fresh herbs to make a recipe and then leave them to wilt in the fridge. But if you take one additional step you can preserve the fresh flavor of the herbs for later use. Making <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/how-to-make-compound-butter_n_1654505.html?1341838864" target="_hplink">compound butter</a> with the herbs or freezing them in olive oil to cook with later is a great way to get the most use out of your basil, cilantro or parsley.




  • Bread


    Bread is one of those basic ingredients that we almost always have in our kitchens, and we often throw out the last couple of slices that have gone stale. But you don't have to waste them. Use those stale pieces to make croutons or bread crumbs.




  • Wine


    If you didn't finish that opened bottle of wine fast enough, you can still use it to cook with. Wine has the ability to enhance dishes with a complexity of flavor. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/08/recipes-with-wine_n_1137289.html" target="_hplink">Check out these recipes </a>for some ideas.




  • Vegetable Tops


    Just like with the broccoli stems, the green tops of carrots, beets and fennel (as well as other veggies) can be used in recipes too. You can use them to flavor soups, garnish dishes or even in salads.




  • Citrus Peels


    Before you eat your oranges or squeeze you lemons, save the peels. They can be used in so many different ways to enhance your dishes. You can air dry the peels to <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/what-to-do-with-leftover-citru-73447" target="_hplink">add to meat dishes or make candied peels</a>. You can also pulverize the peels (making sure to remove the white pith) and make orange peel essence -- which you can use to top snacks like popcorn.




  • Cookies


    Cookies that have seen better days can be crumbled and saved for making pie crusts. It'll get one you step closer to enjoying a homemade dessert.




  • Potato Peels


    If you're inclined to peel your potatoes before you cook them, you can use those peels to make a <a href="http://angelfoodskitchen.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/baked-potato-peel-chips/" target="_hplink">quick batch of homemade chips</a>.




  • Celery


    Just like fresh herbs, celery is another one of those items that many of us buy to make just one recipe and then forget about it in the fridge. Before that happens, chop up the remaining celery and freeze it. Next time you need just a few stalks, you'll have it on hand. (You can apply this to many other vegetables too.)




  • WATCH: Shrimp And Scallop Bisque