Tips on Reducing Food Waste

September 2nd, 2010 by Emily Knudsen

Tips on Reducing Food Waste

Climate Change, Food Processing, Organizations No Comments

As mentioned in an earlier post, when food is wasted, so is energy. By making the best use of your foodstuffs, you could be reducing the more than 90 billion pounds of food tossed in the trash every year, which uses up to 4 percent of all U.S. oil and more than 25 percent of our fresh water to produce and transport to consumers.

Sometimes it’s hard to eat a fresh, “mostly plant“-based diet without wasting food along the way because, unlike burgers from fast food joints, real food spoils. So here are some tips to help you prevent perfectly good food from going bad:

Draft a menu – Plan what your family will eat for the week. Focus first on ingredients you already have in the house that are getting close to their expiration dates, and buy the ingredients you need to turn it into dinner.
Make a grocery list – Making a list while you’re at home will help ensure you don’t buy what you already have lurking in the back of the pantry. And sticking to a list ensures you won’t spend extra on impulse purchases that may not be on the menu that week.
Multiple uses for large or bulk food – Get creative with ingredients so you can use the same ingredient three different times without eating the same dish three different times. For instance, melons can make for a special summer treat, but can you really eat a whole one in its traditional form? If you don’t want to spit seeds all day, a jumbo watermelon can serve you well in a number of other ways. Throw some on the grill for a side dish, turn the rinds into exotic snacks, or convert them into summer desserts for you and the kids.
Buy produce often – It’s difficult to make the regular trip to the market and get produce that will last until the following week. If you have a shop within walking distance of your home or workplace, consider cutting back your large weekly produce purchase and spacing it throughout the week by visiting the store more often. (Note: This only works better for the planet if you aren’t increasing car trips.) For instance, I usually conduct my major grocery shopping on Saturdays. In the summer, I’m lucky enough to have easy access to the farmers market at City Hall on Tuesdays. By then, I’m about ready to replenish my fruit bowl so I walk over there during lunch to restock.
Prep early – I’ve found that by preparing my produce early on in the week, I use it more often. If the lettuce is already washed and sitting pretty in a Tupperware in my fridge, I’m much more likely to opt for salad. Plus, produce bags can often come with a soggy bottom as the moisture from the veggies collects. This accelerates the deterioration of your food. By washing it and storing it properly, perhaps with a piece of paper towel to absorb excess moisture, your produce stays fresher, longer. (There are numerous products out there that claim to do the same thing, perhaps even better, but I’ve never used them so I can’t vouch for that. Also, I think it makes more economic- and environmental-sense to use what you have before you buy more stuff.)
Use transparent containers – I love finding uses for my pint-sized yogurt containers. However, I have definitely put leftovers in one, forgot about it, and found a rather unpleasant surprise three weeks later. Since I couldn’t see what was in the container, I promptly forgot about the leftover stir-fry. By using clear containers, you can easily see what needs to be eaten. Or, make sure to clearly mark your opaque containers. Masking tape and a Sharpie do the trick.
Grow your own – Of course, if you can grow some of your own veggies, then just harvest when you’re ready to eat. Nature will keep them fresh until then. Be sure to plan your menu according to what’s ripe in the yard.
Watch the dates – Keep an eye on expiration dates (both the literal printed dates and the tell-tale signs of over-ripened peaches or wilting lettuce)– if it’s getting close, ask yourself: Can I freeze this? Can I turn I put into the blender to make a smoothie or soup? When my tomatoes begin to look under the weather, I decide it’s time to make a big batch of gazpacho. It’s a great way to get rid of a lot of tomatoes, peppers and onion in one fell swoop.
Waste Not… - Find creative solutions to reuse food scraps. Meat bones can be used to make rich stocks, and onion skins can be used as a natural dye for yarn.