3 easy ways to reduce food waste and stop throwing your money away

Food waste is a widespread issue, contributing to 8% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide(1). A whopping 38% of the food grown in the US is wasted - that’s the equivalent of 145 billion meals thrown away annually(1). These numbers are shocking given that an estimated 47 million people in the US are food insecure(2) (meaning they don’t have access to adequate nutrition to lead a healthy life). Food waste occurs for many reasons throughout the supply chain - oddly shaped but perfectly edible produce being rejected from grocery stores, overproduction at farms, or upcoming sell-by or expiration dates when food is still safe to eat. While many of these issues are out of the control of individual households, food waste is also rampant in people’s kitchens. Research from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that households waste on average 2.1 pounds or 6.2 cups of edible food each week(3). With grocery prices soaring, now is the time to take a look at your food purchasing practices and see how you can support the planet and your wallet by reducing food waste at home.

Here are three easy steps to help you save money and waste less food the next time you go grocery shopping.

1. Look in your refrigerator and pantry to see what you already have on hand

   • Do you have some spinach or broccoli in your fridge that look a little sad? How about pantry items - beans, pasta, or other grain items you already have that can be added to a meal. Make a mental note of what’s already stocked and use that to build your meal plan for the week.

2. Make a grocery list

   • Spend just 10 minutes making a list of the meals you plan to eat at home for the week. Write down the ingredients, noting what you already have on hand. Use that to build your grocery list so you have a plan for everything you’ll purchase. 

3. Do some easy prep when you get home from the store

   • For example, rough chop some carrots and celery and store them in a jar of water so they retain their freshness. Same goes for herbs, clean and pat dry herbs before storing them in a container of water in your fridge. Herbs stored this way will last weeks and can be added to meals throughout the week to add flavor. Store potatoes in a cool dark place to extend their shelf life. These practices will not only save you time during cooking, but will extend the shelf life of your food.

Want to learn more about reducing food waste and using every part of the vegetable or fruit in your kitchen? Check out these Scrappy Cooking recipes from Plant You.

References:

1. (1) https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/reduce-food-waste#:~:text=Food%20waste%20statistics%20in%20the,all%20the%20food%20in%20America.

2. (2) https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america

3. (3) https://www.nrdc.org/bio/andrea-collins/additional-research-household-food-waste#:~:text=The%20MITRE%2FGallup%20study%20determined,or%20banana%20peels%2C%20are%20included.