Food Waste - Your Essential Guide
01/15/2023
Listen, throwing away food is tough, whether you're trying to save money or just hate seeing good grub go to waste. But the good news is, there are plenty of ways to cut down on food waste and make the most of what you have.
You know those times when you toss out a carton of yogurt just before the expiration date, or when those veggies in the fridge start to look a little sad?
Yeah, I've been there too. And let me tell you, food waste is a major issue not just in the U.S., but worldwide. In fact, did you know that food takes up more space in U.S. landfills than any other type of waste?
It's a sad truth, but up to 40 percent of the entire U.S. food supply goes to waste. That's almost 20 pounds of food per person every month!
But, I don't want to just complain about the problem. I want to share some of the best solutions to help you save time, money and improve your health. There's a lot of bad advice out there, but I want to share the best strategies to help you reduce food waste and see the benefits for yourself
Benefits of reducing food waste
As a busy individual, I know how important time and money are to us all. That's why reducing food waste is such a big deal. Not only can it save us time and money in the long run, but it also helps farmers by conserving resources like water and land.
Plus, less food waste means less processing, transportation, and storage, which is not only better for the environment, but also helps reduce the amount of space being taken up in landfills and the amount of greenhouse gases being produced.
But that's not all, some lesser-known societal impacts come with reducing food waste that is worth taking a closer look at. Let's dive in and explore the benefits together!
Save time
Listen up y'all, leftovers may not be the fanciest meals out there, but they sure do save us a lot of time. Ain't nobody got time to cook or decide on new meals every day. Plus, it saves us a lot of stress too.
Save money
And let's talk about money, we all know how much produce gets wasted in a year, and that adds up to a whole lot of cash that could be used for something better.
Save the environment
Reducing food waste helps the environment. Think about all the resources that go into producing and transporting food, it's a waste to just throw it all away. And when it ends up in landfills, it releases harmful greenhouse gases.
Boost your relationships and community
Sharing extra food with our loved ones and community members helps bring us closer together and helps those in need. So let's make the most of our leftovers, save time, money, and the environment, and bring our community together."
Tips to reduce your household food waste
Now that you know some of the benefits of reducing food waste at home, here’s how to make it happen.
Food is indeed wasted at every level from farm to fork. Farms, manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants all waste some of their food. While you may not be able to control these other areas, reducing your food waste can make a [sizeable/significant/substantial] difference.
That’s because household food waste accounts for the biggest amount of food wasted [(at 43 percent—more than restaurants, grocery stores, and food service companies combined)].
1 - Freeze food and enjoy your leftovers to prevent food waste
Sometimes we buy or make too much food to eat in one day. I don’t want you to try to force yourself to eat more than you need to reduce your food waste. Instead, safely store uneaten food in a sealed container in your fridge or freezer, and then enjoy it another time as a “leftover.”
Pro tip: Be sure to pack up and safely store perishable food within 1-2 hours if it’s been sitting at room temperature.
Leftovers can also save you time and money when you’re super busy because you can quickly take a meal out of the fridge or freezer instead of spending the time and money to prepare or buy a whole new meal.
If you have a meal or food that you know you won’t finish eating before it goes bad, consider putting it in the freezer. A lot more foods than you might think can do well in the freezer. Did you know you can freeze cheese? It freezes really well, so if you buy bags in bulk, put half of it in another freezer bag, label it, and keep it frozen until you’re ready to use it.
2 - Know your dates
One of the biggest reasons people throw away food is because they think it’s spoiled. This is understandable because no one wants to eat or serve food that has gone bad and may make them sick. Sometimes, the date that food goes bad is not always clear because manufacturers may use different dates on their packages. To reduce confusion, the U.S. FDA is recommending the use of:
● “Best if used by” to describe the quality of the food (not its safety); the food may not taste or perform as expected but it’s still safe to consume as long as it was stored properly.
● “Expires on” is mostly reserved for infant formulas which should not be used beyond that date.
3 - Try “imperfect” or “ugly” food
Did you know that food is sometimes dumped because it doesn’t look “perfect” enough? Looking for “imperfect” or “ugly” food, or food that’s approaching its “Best if used by” date, is another way to save money and reduce food waste.
Some markets and grocery stores package up food that may be “ugly” or not as fresh as their latest shipment and sell them at lower prices than the “perfect” food we’re used to seeing. Many of these imperfect foods can still be used in smoothies, soups, and baking.
Pro tip: Check to make sure the imperfect foods are still safely edible and are not spoiled; then, prioritize freezing or eating these foods first.
By choosing “imperfect” or “ugly” foods when you’re out shopping you can help prevent it from going to waste while saving money at the same time.
4 - Share extra food
If you know someone who would love to join you for a meal or appreciate your leftovers afterward, consider sharing with them. You can invite them over or drop your extra food off to them.
Another idea is to find a food bank or shelter in your area and see what types of food they accept. If you have extras of those, simply donate them to them. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even consider donating the amount of money you saved from reducing food waste to your local food bank or shelter so they can purchase what is most urgently needed.
5 - Optimize your fridge and freezer
Don’t forget to regularly check your fridge and freezer to keep an eye on the food that may be approaching the end of its useful life. If you find any, enjoy them first.
Pro tip: Keep your fridge set to a maximum temperature of 40°F and your freezer to 0°F or lower to keep your food fresh as long as possible.
6 - Compost whenever you can
The U.S. EPA estimates that just 4.1 percent of wasted food is composted, so composting is a huge area of opportunity. If you have a backyard and the ability to compost food scraps to make nutrient-rich soil, that is a great place to start. Alternatively, if your city, town, or region has a composting program, you can contribute to that instead of putting food waste into the garbage which goes to the landfill.
7 - Use a grocery list and meal plan to avoid food waste
If you want to avoid wasting food, aside from having a plan for what you buy, you should have a detailed meal plan and grocery list before you step foot in the store. As always, start with a food you already have, then create meals based on that. Make a list of ingredients you need for all the meals and snacks for the week or however long your food budget is for.
When you plan out the meals you want to eat and stick to your grocery list, you’re less likely to purchase and make too much food. If you create a thoughtful grocery list—and stick to it—you can buy only what you need and will reasonably eat each day or week.
8 - Know How to Store Your Produce
Produce is one of the most common types of foods to go bad and end up being thrown away. There are a few things you can do to prevent this, beginning with understanding how and where to store your produce.
Did you know that some produce releases ethylene and others are sensitive to it? If you store an ethylene-producing food with an ethylene-sensitive food, it’s going to go bad faster.
For example, don’t store your potatoes with your avocados. Potatoes are sensitive to as, and avocados release a lot of ethylene gas.
How meal planning can help reduce food waste
Having a plan for your meals—whether you make the plan yourself or invest in one that works for you—is a great way to reduce your food waste.
That’s because when your meals are planned out, you can create a grocery list of the foods you need for that plan.
If you double-check your pantry, fridge, and freezer before adding something to your grocery list, and stick to the list when you’re out shopping, you will buy only what you need and are planning to eat.
By using a meal plan to reduce the amount of excess food you buy in the first place, you’re cutting down on food waste at the source. This is called “source reduction.” According to the U.S. EPA, source reduction is the most impactful step toward reducing food waste, so it’s a great one to focus your efforts on.
Meal planning has other benefits beyond reducing food waste and saving you time and money. Using meal plans can help you create meaningful and sustainable changes for your health. For example, a recent study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine looked at people who joined a weight loss program. They found that participants who planned more of their meals lost more weight than those who planned fewer meals.
Find Creative Ways to Use Leftovers
When it comes to leftovers, people often make the mistake of leaving the meal as it was originally served. While this does help sometimes, it can quickly become unexciting, which increases the chances of it just sitting in the fridge until it goes bad.
Instead, think about other ways you can use those meals or side dishes in other meals. For example, leftover roasted chicken can be used for so many different meals. Put it in a casserole, make chicken quesadillas or enchiladas, or shred it up for chicken salad.
Final Thoughts on Food Waste
By reducing food waste we can help to save time and money, reduce our impact on the environment, and even build our relationships and communities. It truly is a win-win-win situation.
One of the best ways to get started tackling this problem is by using a meal plan. Meal plans can inform your grocery list and then reduce the amount of extra food purchased list when you go shopping at the market or grocery store. But, not everyone wants to spend the time and effort to create their own plans. If this is you, I would love to help with your meal plans!
Girl, let me tell you, one of the best ways to handle this situation is by getting yourself a meal plan. It'll make putting together your grocery list a breeze and help you avoid buying extra food you don't need.
Now, if you're having trouble coming up with healthy recipes that align with your goals or need some assistance putting your plan together, I'm here for you! Just click this link to schedule a free consultation with me, and I'll be happy to help
PS. Be sure to join my free healthy online community! Join here.
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References
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Food waste. The Nutrition Source.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sustainability/food-waste/
Hayes, J. F., Balantekin, K. N., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Jackson, J. J., Ridolfi, D. R., Boeger, H. S., Welch, R. R., & Wilfley, D. E. (2021). Greater Average Meal Planning Frequency Predicts Greater Weight Loss Outcomes in a Worksite-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Program. Annals of behavioral medicine: a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 55(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaa021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7982781/
RTS. (n.d.). Food waste in America in 2022. https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2019, May 23). Confused by date labels on packaged foods? https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/confused-date-labels-packaged-foods
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2022, February 17). How to cut food waste and maintain food safety. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/how-cut-food-waste-and-maintain-food-safety U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2022, February 17). Tips to reduce food waste. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/tips-reduce-food-waste
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