We are blessed with an abundance of food in our country, but did you know that 40% of food in the United States is never eaten? How can we avoid food waste? September 28-October 4 is Food Waste Prevention Week. Check out these tips for reducing food waste.
Meal Planning – this helps to reduce food waste and saves time, stress, and money. Plus, it usually leads to healthier eating.
- Start with your go-to meals. Repeat them every week or two and then add new dishes.
- Check your refrigerator. See what leftovers need to be used up and plan a meal with those items. Check your pantry for remaining ingredients and add missing items to your shopping list.
- Use a portion planner. These online portion calculators can help you plan meals for any size group.
- Use building blocks. Start with two types of protein, one or two grains, and a vegetable medley to make at the beginning of the week and then add into different meals. For example, sauté broccoli and peppers as a side dish one night, add them onto enchiladas another night, and work them into a soup or meatloaf later in the week.
- Go fresh first. Use perishable foods like seafood and meat earlier in the week to preserve freshness and nutrition. Save pasta, dairy, and omelets for later in the week. Some greens, like kale, will stay fresh longer than others.
- Use frozen ingredients. Frozen foods are just as nutritious (and sometimes more so) than their fresh counterparts and they don’t go bad.
- Cook and freeze. Make large batches of soups, stews, casseroles, and lasagnas, freeze, and defrost when you need a quick dinner. Freeze in the portion sizes you’ll need.
Source: SaveTheFood.com
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