It is estimated that Americans waste 30-40% of the food supply – or about 133 billion tons – every year. Reducing food waste would save everybody money, reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere, conserve energy (from growing, manufacturing, transporting, selling and throwing out food), and in some cases provide food to those who need it (such as donating un-served food from restaurants and catered events).
If you’re ready to make a plan to waste less food in your household, here are some tips and tricks!
Planning Tips: By simply making a list with weekly meals in mind, you can save money and time and eat healthier food. If you buy no more than what you expect to use, you will be more likely to use it all.
- Keep a running list of meals and their ingredients that your household already enjoys so you can easily choose, shop for and prepare meals.
- Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping and buy only the things needed for those meals.
- Look in your refrigerator and cupboards first to avoid buying food you already have, make a list each week of what needs to be used up and plan upcoming meals around it.
Storage Tips: It is easy to overbuy or forget about fresh fruits and vegetables. Store fruits and vegetables for maximum freshness; they’ll taste better and last longer, helping you to eat more of them.
- Find out how to store fruits and vegetables so they stay fresh longer inside or outside your refrigerator.
- When you get home from the store, take the time to wash, dry, chop, dice, slice, and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.
- Freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit, or meat that you know you won’t be able to eat in time.
Thriftiness Tips: Be mindful of old ingredients and leftovers you need to use up. You’ll waste less and may even find a new favorite dish.
- Have produce that’s past its prime? It may still be fine for cooking. Think soups, casseroles, stir fries, sauces, baked goods, pancakes or smoothies.
- If safe and healthy, use the edible parts of food that you normally do not eat. For example, stale bread can be used to make croutons, beet tops can be sautéed for a delicious side dish, and vegetable scraps can be made into stock.
Adapted from: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-home