Imagine reducing food waste and You can cut your grocery spending by 30%. With these simple systems in place, you can identify foods you should eat, rescue food from the compost or trash, make the most of waste pieces, and rescue food ruined by a mean toddler. That’s a real win.
Try these five simple tips to reduce food waste.
Create a “Let’s eat first” drawer
It’s a sad fact: modern refrigerators are so huge that food often gets overlooked. The solution? Label drawers “Eat First” so you can see (at a glance) what needs to be used up. in front They will spoil. Simply move any food that is nearing its expiration date to a drawer. Before you go shopping or check what’s in your pantry, prioritize the foods in that drawer for snacks and meals.
Freeze
What to do if your “eat first” box is full and you know you won’t be able to eat it all before it goes bad? Freeze it!
This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce food waste. Is your food approaching its expiration date? Can’t finish it before then? Is your food starting to wilt? Act now! Freeze these foods to keep them out of the trash.
In the past I have frozen:
- Yogurt and kale for smoothies (use yogurt ice cube trays for easy access when needed)
- Leftover pasta sauce from a recipe that only calls for half a bottle
- Leftover fruit (cut up and frozen on a cookie sheet)
You too can reduce food waste by using your freezer as a detour between the fridge and the trash can.
Soup for you!
For the longest time I’d never even considered making my own soup stock, but it turns out making your own soup stock is the easiest thing in the world. I don’t know why I thought it was so complicated, but when my brother started telling me to compost carrot leaves and celery stalk ends I finally decided to give it a try. Now I’m hooked!
To make soup stock wonderful Reducing food waste is very simple: just keep a medium sized container in your freezer and fill it with stock ingredients, then add more as you need it.
Some good things to add to your inventory include:
- Carrot leaves
- Celery stalk
- Onion pieces
- Pieces of mushroom
- tomato
Most (leftover) vegetables are perfect for stock containers. in front Add them to your jar to bring out the full flavor of your soup.
If you’re a meat eater, you can also save chicken bones to make a flavorful chicken stock. Beef bones also work well. Once your container is full, follow these steps:
- Put water in a large pot
- Add the contents of the soup stock container
- Add a few bay leaves
- Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste
- Simmer on low heat for 2 to 3 hours
And, of course, what to do with this newly made soup? Strain out the solids and compost, of course. Then transfer the soup into jars (about three-quarters full to allow room for expansion) and freeze.
Smooth Operator
Smoothies are the perfect on-the-go meal for mornings when you don’t have time to cook, and they’re also a great way to reduce food waste by using imperfect fruits and veggies.
This tip has really helped me since my daughter became a toddler and started doing some horrible things like:
Yeah.
When that happens, I’ll finely chop up the apples and use them in a smoothie (along with some slightly softened strawberries, mushy blueberries, slightly wilted spinach, and whatever else you feel like using.) It’s a great way to get the most out of your fruits and veggies.
Sharing is caring
While the previous suggestions have shown you how to quickly and easily reduce your food waste on your own, this option also harnesses the power of technology and community.
Food sharing app Orio It connects you with neighbors, businesses, and community members who have surplus food so you can share it instead of throwing it away. It’s like a Craigslist for food. Best of all, it’s free!
This app is especially useful for novice gardeners who mistakenly think that one zucchini plant will produce one zucchini, and end up with a beautiful bunch of green squash. With OLIO, you can post a photo of your bunch of zucchini and offer them to anyone who wants them. ohUm, technology, is there anything you can’t do?
Small steps, small bites
Making the decision to reduce food waste may seem daunting, but it really just takes a series of small, conscious decisions to drastically reduce the amount of good food that ends up in the trash. These decisions will quickly become second nature and will go a long way towards helping your grocery budget and the environment.
Feature image courtesy Sosinda From Pixabay
Editor’s note: This article was first published on September 16, 2016 and updated in August 2024.
