Sometimes wasting less food can be as easy as opening your fridge, and seeing what needs to be cooked. Fresh veggies and bread products are often the most wasted due to spoilage. Items like fresh leafy greens, summer squash, mushrooms are quickly perishable. Bread can go moldy especially during months with higher humidity.
The solution? Cook it or freeze it. The other day I realized I had half a bag of fresh spinach left, and the weekend was approaching when I wouldn’t be home for all meals. Instead of ignoring it in the refrigerator bin, I took it out, tossed it into a pot with 1/4 cup of water, and cooked it down. It took two minutes to cook and about 2 minutes to clean up (rinse out the pot). I put the spinach back into the refrigerator once cooled, in an airtight container and will add it to an omelet. I can also freeze it for later use.
Simple tips for wasting less food:
✅ Shop smarter – have a plan for everything that goes into your cart. It’s a challenge to not over-buy, especially during the summer when grocery stores offer many special displays. Think about what you will actually use, and skip the rest.
✅ Store food properly so it lasts longer (utilize the freezer!). If you are leaving town for the weekend and there are still berries in the fruit bin, pop them into the freezer until Monday (even if you don’t have time to put them into an airtight bag, just pop the container into the freezer).
✅ Use what you have on hand. Need to bring an appetizer to a part – Shop your pantry and freezer first. You’ll be surprised what you can create with the ingredients you already have. Use up your leftovers in creative ways too.
Check out my book – Zero Waste Cooking For Dummies® – where you’ll find many more tips, over 100 recipes and chapters that help you use commonly wasted food items. you can also download the free Zero Waste Kitchen Guide here!
And, be sure to check out this episode of the Rooted and Restless Podcast!
0 Comments