How to Reduce Food Waste: Part 1

Kim Galeaz | Posted on November 13, 2017

food waste

How about a new family tradition? Why not come together as a family and reduce food waste moving forward?

I thought tackling food waste would be appropriate – not to mention budget-friendly – since all of us tend to waste enormous amounts of food. And not just fresh produce. We unfortunately pitch half-eaten food that wasn’t stored properly. Or unnecessarily pitch canned, boxed and jarred foods that are beyond their “best by” date. We feel guilty, but we keep doing it.

So post these tips where everyone in the family can see them. Assign specific family members to specific tasks. And hold a family meeting each month to see how you’re doing. No matter how small your efforts, you are making a difference.

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3. Use Up What You Have

This is so obvious, but how often do we open the fridge or pantry and say “there’s nothing to eat!” Well, start using up what you have before you automatically run to the store. It’s OK to every now and then have a meal that is less than balanced (i.e., doesn’t contain all the nutrient-rich food groups) like pasta and marinara sauce with frozen vegetables or canned baked beans with that leftover deli ham. Make homemade vegetable soup with broth and canned or frozen vegetables and chunks of that 2-day-old cooked chicken breast from Tuesday night’s dinner. Or my favorite, canned black beans with shredded cheese on whole-wheat flour tortillas.

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Hopefully these tips help you and your family get started on the right track, and be sure to check back in the spring issue for part two of ways to reduce food waste this year.