There are few things I hate more than throwing food out. I plan, prioritize, get creative and utilize my freezer to reduce food waste as much as possible.
The David Suzuki Foundation says that close to half of all food produced worldwide is wasted, that’s an astounding (and pretty disgusting) fact. Over 30% of fruit and vegetables don’t even make it to the grocery store shelves in North America because they’re not attractive enough to picky consumers.
Food waste alone now represents some 22 percent of Bermuda’s total garbage.
Six Tips to Reduce Food Waste at Your House
Are you ready to do your part to reduce greenhouse gases and water wastage? If you need a little financial motivation, your household could save up to $600 a year by reducing food waste!
1. Start Meal Planning
This is the surest way to stop throwing food out at your house. Spend 20 to 30 minutes a week planning most of your meals for the upcoming week. Make a plan, create a list and stick to it!
2. Prepare Food so it’s Easy to Use
Wash and chop any fruit or vegetables that will have a better chance of getting eaten once they are prepared like melons, pineapple or that head of romaine lettuce.
3. Freeze It
Before it’s too late freeze leftovers like soups, chili, baked goods and even things like tomato paste, coconut milk, broth and fresh herbs.
If something came up and you didn’t cook that fish or chicken, freeze it, don’t waste it.
You can also divide large portions into two and freeze half for later. For example, instead of assembling one huge lasagna, prepare it in two smaller pans and freeze one half.
4. First In First Out
Eat the most perishable food items first like raspberries and fish for example.
If you have a tendency to forget about a perishable food item store it front and center in your fridge. You don’t let that red wine go off, now do you? So don’t let that spinach wilt!
5. Assemble a ‘Clean the Fridge’ Meal
For me this means vegetable soup or stir-fry and smoothies are a great place to hide slightly too soft fruit or wilted greens.
6. Be Realistic
It’s nice to try new foods once in a while but if you know for a fact that artichokes will not get eaten at your house don’t buy them!
by Andrea Beazley-Fubler, Holistic Nutritionist at Good Health Girl
