Reality TV

I admit it.  I watch reality TV.  I enjoy Project Runway, American Idol, and the recent addition Cake Boss: Next Best Baker. 

Today, I went home on my lunch hour and found the aforementioned Next Best Baker on the TLC Network.  I think this show is so much fun!  These contestants aren't just bakers, they are artists.  It's absolutely incredible to watch them mold fondant into faces. 

The episode I watched today, the contestants were split into groups of three and were challenged to make an entire body cake that looked like Carlo's (the Cake Boss) sisters.  At the end of the show, they were all so horrible that Carlo decided to use a roller to destroy the cakes.  This got me thinking...what a waste of food!  All of that could have been given to homeless shelters or other people in need.  Then my thoughts took me a bit further.  What else is going to complete waste in all of these reality shows, besides our intelligence?  I immediately thought of all the food competition shows, Cupcake Wars, Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef, etc (view a full list here).  I can't get over the fact that all of this food may be slightly sampled and then thrown away.

Is there something we can do to make sure these shows don't use this food for nothing but the entertainment value of the network?