
According to a report by the USDA, Americans tend to throw away 3 out of every 10 pounds of food they buy every year, which consequently adds up to 219 pounds of food waste per person. Monetarily, this amounts to over $ 161 billion each year. This amount is sufficient to feed millions of people in need.
Food waste results in being heavier on our wallets. But this isn't the only bad news about it. One of the major concerns related to food wastage is the environmental damage that it causes. When we dump wasted food in landfills, it results in emission of Methane gas which is a stronger greenhouse gas. It traps heat inside the atmosphere and speeds up global warming and climate change. Food waste management not only has a positive impact on your pocket, but it also helps protect the environment and, ultimately, our planet. It is about food sustainability, which is a great thing to do, not just for us, but for our future generations as well.
This blog is a comprehensive guide to help you build an understanding of easy and practical ways to reduce kitchen waste, reuse leftover ideas, compost, and adopt zero-waste cooking practices.
Understanding the Impact of Wasted Food
Wasted food doesn't only mean spoiled groceries. Instead, it refers to the wastage of all the resources that were used in producing the food as well. Labor, energy, water, fuel, and packaging also go wasted when we throw food away.
Let's look at some eye-opening facts related to food wastage:
- The major contributors of food waste are households, more than restaurants or grocery stores.
- About 14 tons of food is wasted by Americans every year.
- This wasted food results in the largest landfills in the U.S.A.
- 14% of the greenhouse gas methane is the outcome of the food that goes wasted by humans.
Food wastes strain natural resources. This is why its reduction can become a major step towards Food sustainability and a healthier planet.
Let's explore some steps to take to manage food waste.
Plan Your Meal Mindfully
Pre-planning your meals can help you remember which ingredients are already there in the fridge, what do you want to buy, and reduce impulse buying and over-purchasing.
Weekly Meal Planner
Before going for grocery runs, ensure to prepare a weekly planner of meals. List down the meals for the whole week, Prepare a checklist of items you need and the ones that you have already got in the fridge. Ensure using the ingredients for multiple recipes so you don't have anything left to rot.
Shopping List
Most importantly, always carry a shopping list when buying groceries and try to stick by that list in order to avoid impulse buying or over-purchasing.
Keep A Check On Your Fridge & Pantry
Put a magnetic checklist on your fridge to be fully aware of what you already have and what are you running out of. This prevents over-purchasing,
These tips help you in buying only what you need, avoiding getting duplicate items, saving food, and saving money.
Ensure Proper Storage of Food
Majority of the food waste is the result of improper storage. Having proper knowledge of how to store food can increase their shelf life and save your money.
Use clear containers to store food so you can easily see the leftovers. Moreover, put labels on each container with due dates so they can be used up before turning bad. Keep a box with label "use first" for items that are nearing their expiry dates.
Let's build knowledge of shelf life, storage methods, and storage tips of some common foods.
Food Items | Recommended Storage Methods | Shelf Life | Storage Tips |
Green vegetables | Store in sealed contained in fridge | Up to 7 days | Use a dampen paper towel and wrap the vegetables to keep them fresh |
Bread | Store in pantry or freezer | Up to 5 days in pantry Up to 3 months in freezer | To extend shelf life of bread you can freeze it |
Milk | Store in oldest part of fridge | Up to 10 days | Never store milk in door of fridge because its temperature fluctuates the most |
Apples | Store in crisper drawer | Up to 1 month | Keep them away from bananas |
Cooked Rice | Store in an airtight container in fridge | Up to 4 days | Reheat at 165 F |
Learn How To Store Different Fruits and Vegetables through our detailed blog.
Leftover Ideas For Creative Meals
Leftovers are usually left at the bottom of the fridge to eventually rot and then we throw them out. Well, that should not be the case. We are here to tell you that leftovers are like a treasure to create quick and convenient meals. When you're in a hurry and want to grab something quick, leftovers will be your best friend.
Let's look at some ideas to create delicious meals from leftovers.
- Cooked Vegetables: These leftover cooked veggies can be used to prepare vegetable soup. Simply toss the vegetables in butter for aroma, Then add them in broth, add seasonings, blend everything together, and serve. Or we can use these vegetables as sandwich fillers.
- Stale Bread: Our family members usually don't like eating stale bread so you can create croutons from this bread. You can use these croutons in salad bowls. Or you can prepare scrumptious bread pudding using this stale bread and satisfy the sweet cravings. Another delicious option to make out of this stale bread it French toast.
Cook Bread Pudding using this recipe and see yourself becoming everyone's favorite. - Cooked Chicken: If you have cooked chicken stored in your fridge, it is time to take it out. Shred it and prepare mouth-watering sandwiches out of it. Or you can also use this cooked chicken to make Quesadillas. This is a great way of using the leftovers like chicken and veggies.
- Cooked Rice: Instead of throwing these cooked rice, use them to prepare fried rice. Or you can also use these to cook rice pudding for your family.
- Storing ingredients properly is key when prepping ahead if you're working with proteins too, here's a quick guide on how long cooked chicken sausage lasts in the fridge.
Composting: Turn Everyday Scraps into Soil
Composting is a beneficial way of turning the scraps into soil which is used for gardening and plantation. Instead of throwing the scraps into trash, convert them into compost which is packed in nutrients and helpful in growing trees which eventually help the planet. Honestly, this is better than letting the trash pile up, turn into landfills, and produce methane for unhealthy environment.
Check out our easy recipe of Vegetable Fried Rice.
Composting is a natural process of break the components of different food items and turning them into nutrients rich soil. Your composting routine can simply begin by collecting the trash in bins and transfer them into a larger bin, placed out of your home.
Fruits and vegetables peels, coffee ground, tea bags (without staples), and egg shells are great for compost whereas, you should avoid meat, dairy, or oily foods because they tend to attract pests and slow down the composting process.
Practice Zero-Waste Cooking
Zero-waste cooking is a kitchen philosophy which means using every part of the ingredients. This method saves your money and promotes eco-friendly cooking techniques. Try using most of your vegetables like instead of cutting and throwing the carrots tops, beetroots green leaves, or broccoli steams, try to save them to prepare homemade vegetable broths. Use them to prepare pestos. Fruit peels can be dried and later used in desserts, teas, or vinegar to make a natural cleaning solution.
This may be a small habit but can be great for cultivating a culture that cares for resources and environment.
Conclusion
Food waste isn't a joke. It is an extremely important issue that is impacting our planet negatively and will continue to worsen the environmental situations if not controlled. It is an issue that we can't resolve overnight. However, small steps towards the revolution can bring a great impact. Change begins at home, so small change in the way you cook food, plan meals, and store food can be significant to reduce food waste.
By adopting habits of zero-waste cooking, reusing leftover ideas, and composting you can contribute towards a more sustainable food system. These measures can help you to save money, resources, and energy as well. It is high time to create a future with FoodVLove where food is valued not wasted.
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FAQs
There are several reasons that contribute to causing food waste. Improper food storage, overbuying, and overcooking are some of the major reasons of food waste.
No, not all kinds of foods can convert into compost. You should avoid composting meat, dairy, and oily foods. The best, earthy composts are made of fruits, vegetables, grains, egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags (without staples).
If properly stored, leftover food is safe to eat. We must store leftovers in fridge within 2 hours. Different kinds of food items have different shelf lives when properly stored and they are safe to eat within that period of time.
It is a kitchen technique for sustainable food system. It refers to using all or most of the parts of an ingredient are used in cooking.
Kids learn by seeing something happening around them. Involve them in the activities that ensure food waste management including cooking, storing food, doing groceries, meal planning, and composting.
To manage food waste for a greener future, start by planning meals, buying only what you need, and storing food properly to extend freshness. Repurpose leftovers creatively and compost food scraps instead of throwing them away. Reducing food waste helps conserve resources, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and build a more sustainable planet.
Restaurants can manage food waste by training staff, tracking inventory, implementing portion control, and repurposing unused ingredients. Donating safe, surplus food and composting organic waste are also effective strategies. Monitoring food waste daily helps identify problem areas and reduce both waste and costs.
At home, manage food waste by planning weekly meals, storing perishable items correctly, using leftovers, and composting fruit and vegetable scraps. Keep an eye on expiration dates, freeze extras when needed, and avoid impulse buying. Small changes in your daily routine can significantly cut down waste and save money.
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