Easy Habits to Add to Your Meal Plan To Reduce Food Waste

Happy Earth Month! Incorporate some of these strategies into your food prep routines and reduce your at home food waste. The average American throws away between 30 - 40% of the food that they purchase. There are many ways to prevent food waste at home AND a lot of them are easy and convenient, too! Food connects us with our land and with each other. Respecting our food and protecting where it comes from leads to true nourishment. To show that respect, we strive to be intentional with the food we bring into our homes. It will help the environment and our wallets to eat up as much food as we can and avoid food waste!

1. Create a Plan

   1. Consider the space you have in your home for storing food

   2. Consider the time you have available

      1. Add new habits one by one

   3. Which category does most of your waste come from?

   1. Leftovers from restaurants

   2. Leftovers from meals cooked at home

   3. Leftover ingredients

   4. Ingredient scraps

2. Create a Tracking System

   1. Use a dry erase board, chalkboard, or piece of paper to write down all of the leftovers and keep this in a very visible place

3. Make Your Meal Leftovers More Appetizing

1. Just try a bite and see if your appetite develops

2. Reheat in a toaster oven or on the stove instead of the microwave for better texture

3. Add a different sauce for a different seasoning

4. Pair leftover proteins with new veggies or starch

4. Ensure your food storage containers are airtight

1. Replace cracked lids when possible

2. Consider doing a beeswax wrap for plastic wrap swap

5. Use Up All of Your Ingredients Before They Go Bad

1. Sometimes it might be best to purchase frozen veggies or canned veggies because they will last longer than fresh

2. Create a space in your fridge for a “USE NOW” bin where you can place all of the ingredients that need to be used up ASAP

3. If the ingredient doesn’t do well in the freezer, blend it into a sauce that can be frozen and thawed and still be delicious

6. Incorporate Habits into you Food Prep Routines

1. Save Peels and Trim pieces in the freezer until you have enough to make your own stock

2. Quick pickle extra veggies like cucumber, carrots, green beans, bell peppers, onion

3. Make Croutons or Bread Crumbs from leftover bread