SlogansDo not waste food slogans
World Food Day is observed on 16 October. These slogans ask for one simple habit: take what you can eat, and eat what you take.
English
Take a little. Come back for more.
A clean plate is a thank you to the farmer.
Someone grew it, someone cooked it. Do not bin it.
Your leftovers were somebody's whole meal.
Serve small. Refill gladly.
Eyes bigger than the stomach? Start with one spoon.
Respect the grain. It took a season.
Share the extra before it becomes waste.
Hungry? Eat. Full? Stop. Simple.
The dustbin is not hungry.
हिन्दी
पहले थोड़ा परोसो, कम पड़े तो फिर ले लो।
थोड़ा लो, दोबारा आओ, पर खाना बिल्कुल न गँवाओ।
अन्न का हर दाना, किसान का पसीना।
जूठा छोड़ना शान नहीं, अन्न का अपमान है।
साफ़ थाली, किसान को धन्यवाद।
किसी ने उगाया, किसी ने पकाया, इसे यूँ ही मत फेंको।
पेट भरे तो रुक जाओ, बचा खाना बाँट आओ।
कूड़ेदान को भूख नहीं लगती।
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
ਓਨਾ ਹੀ ਪਾਓ ਥਾਲੀ ਵਿੱਚ, ਜਿੰਨਾ ਖਾਧਾ ਜਾਵੇ।
ਅੰਨ ਦਾ ਹਰ ਦਾਣਾ, ਕਿਸਾਨ ਦਾ ਪਸੀਨਾ।
ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਲਓ, ਫਿਰ ਲੈ ਲਿਓ, ਪਰ ਜੂਠਾ ਨਾ ਛੱਡਿਓ।
ਰੋਟੀ ਦੀ ਕਦਰ ਕਰੋ, ਭੁੱਖੇ ਦਾ ਖ਼ਿਆਲ ਕਰੋ।
ਵਾਧੂ ਰੋਟੀ ਵੰਡ ਦਿਓ, ਸੁੱਟੋ ਨਾ।
In common use (not written by us)
Take what you can eat. Eat what you take.
उतना ही लो थाली में, व्यर्थ न जाए नाली में।
Nothing matches. Try a shorter word, or choose All.
Where these slogans are used
School and college canteens, hostel messes, office cafeterias, wedding and party buffets, community kitchens, and the dining table at home. This is a subject where the right place matters more than the right day: a small card on the buffet table, beside the plates, works better than a banner on the gate.
Write your own
Nobody wastes food on purpose. It happens at one moment: when the plate is being filled. So aim the slogan at that moment. "Take a little, come again" does more than any line about hunger in the world. Gratitude is the other strong note: the farmer who grew it, the cook who made it, the parent who paid for it. In Indian homes, the idea that food deserves respect is already there. A slogan only needs to remind.
- English pairs: plate and waste, taste and waste, feed and need, grain and pain, share and care.
- Hindi pairs: अन्न and धन, थाली and ख़ाली, खाना and गँवाना, जूठा and रूठा, दाना and ख़ज़ाना.
- Punjabi pairs: ਅੰਨ and ਧੰਨ, ਥਾਲੀ and ਖ਼ਾਲੀ, ਰੋਟੀ and ਖੋਟੀ.
For functions and buffets
- On the plate counter: "Take a little. You are welcome to come back."
- On the invitation: a line that leftover food will be shared, if you have arranged it with a local group in advance.
- For hosts: ask the caterer about smaller serving spoons and plates. They reduce waste without a word being said.
What to avoid
- Figures about hunger and waste unless they come from an official report you can name.
- Scolding guests. A function is not the place for guilt.
- Sharing leftover food that has been lying out for long. Food safety comes first, and the group collecting it will tell you what they can accept.
Using these slogans
- In a school canteen, a "clean plate" star chart for each class works better than any rule.
Questions
When is World Food Day?
On 16 October every year.