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One of my biggest pet peeves is food waste, and I’m sure many of you can relate! Not only do I hate wasting food, but it feels like I’m literally throwing money away when I have to toss out something that has gone bad or passed its expiration date.
According to the USDA, the average household throws away around $900 worth of food every year. That’s a LOT of money we’re tossing out, and I’m sure we could all find much better uses for that money!
But just by making a few simple changes to our shopping, cooking, and eating habits, we can cut down considerably on the amount of food waste we produce. Here are some simple tips that will help you use more of the food you buy and keep more money in your pocket!
13 Ways To Stop Wasting Food
1. Shop For Produce Once A Week
Buy smaller amounts of the fresh ingredients you use, so you’re more likely to use them up before they have a chance to go bad.
2. Utilize Frozen Fruits And Veggies
Utilize frozen fruits and vegetables, especially if you have a busy schedule and can’t find the time to shop for fresh produce every week. You can buy these in larger quantities and pull them out of the freezer as needed. This tasty quick pasta salad can be made in a hurry using frozen veggies!
3. Make The Most Of Your Freezer
Speaking of your freezer, you should be using it—and not just for frozen burritos. ;-) Learn about all the different things you can freeze for later in my post 20 Things You Can Freeze To Save Time And Money.
4. Get Creative With The Food You Have
You don’t need to run to the store for one missing ingredient from a recipe! Try substituting something else in instead (such as lemon juice for vinegar, or yogurt for mayo) or leaving it out entirely if possible.
5. Use Every Part Of Your Produce
There are plenty of ways to use the parts of produce you don’t normally use. While the beet root is the most commonly used part of the plant, the leafy greens on top of beets are delicious too! Throw them into a salad, or sauté them as a side.
6. Refrigerate Food Properly
This ensures that your food will stay fresh for the longest time possible. Get all the details from my post on 36 Tips for Keeping Food Fresh Longer.
7. Understand The Dates On Your Food
A “sell-by” date indicates that after the printed date, you have a few more days to consume that food. A “best-if-used-by” date signals when a food has passed its prime flavor and quality (it is not an indication of food safety!) And a “use-by” date is the last day of recommended use for that food, and is determined by the manufacturer.
Always inspect your food for unusual appearance or odor, which would indicate spoilage. My post on Food Expiration Dates will give you even more information.
8. Use Produce That’s Less-Than-Fresh
Over-ripened fruit can be used in a fruit salad or jam, mixed into a crumble, or baked into muffins. Your veggies can be tossed into soups, stews, casseroles, sauces, or omelets!
9. Get Creative With Your Leftovers
You can use leftover vegetables to make a stir-fry, or use leftover mashed potatoes to make a soup.
10. Keep Track Of What You Throw Away
Keep a notepad somewhere near your garbage can, and start making a note of all of the food that gets thrown away. After a while, you can start identifying which things get thrown away most, and you’ll be able to start shopping smarter by adjusting what you buy or the quantities you buy it in.
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11. Stick To Your List
When you do make a trip to the grocery store, resist those impulse purchases by making and sticking to a list! Lists also save money by helping avoid unnecessary trips to the store (because you forgot something) and making using coupons easier.
12. Buy In Bulk And Preserve
If you come across a great deal on produce, you can get a lot of use out of it by buying it in bulk and preserving it. Canning and pickling are two of the most popular methods of preserving produce. I love making up a big batch of quick pickled red onions!
13. Compost It
If all else fails, and your produce does end up going bad, turn that waste into something useful by composting it! The resulting “black gold” will go a long way towards a bountiful harvest of MORE food! If you are new to composting, be sure to read my post about How to Start Composting.
How do you avoid wasting food?
