Reduce Food Waste

According to the World Resources Institute, if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China and the U.S.

Take steps to reduce your food waste.

It starts with your shopping list!

It’s easier than you think to reduce food waste. Here are some simple steps you can start taking today:

• Shop with purpose.
  Buy only what you need so that you don’t end up with excess food. Shop your fridge first. Then, plan your meals and make a list. Being organized and prepared will keep you focused on the essentials. And of course, never grocery shop on an empty stomach.
• Get creative with your cooking.
  Reviving leftovers can be easy, fun and economical. For example, you could add leftover chicken to a salad for a whole new meal. Or you could turn it into chicken soup. Well-cooked vegetables could make a wonderful pasta sauce and yesterday’s baked potato could be tomorrow’s mashed. The possibilities are endless.
• Imperfect could be perfect.
  Many imperfect fruits and vegetables or ones that may be wilting or browning can be used for baking, sauces, stock or smoothies.
• Store your food better.
  Proper food storage can prolong its life and reduce waste. Store fruits in the low-humidity section of your fridge along with vegetables such as peppers and squash that tend to rot quickly. Store vegetables in a high-humidity crisper drawer to keep them from wilting too fast.
• Freeze food for later.
  If you have food that you can’t eat before it goes bad, think about other ways to use it and stick it in your freezer. For example, frozen, ripe fruit makes delicious smoothies.
• Get organized.
  Spend some time organizing your kitchen so that you know what you have and where to find it. Place perishable items near the front so that you don’t lose sight of them.
• See clearly.
  Using clear containers makes it easy for you to see what you have on hand and how much you have left.
• Consider canning.
  If your garden is overflowing with tomatoes, long-term storage techniques like canning can help you to make good use of your harvest.

Eat your leftovers! Only about half of Americans take leftovers home from a restaurant. With growing portion sizes, one restaurant meal may make two! If you don’t have room in your fridge, use your freezer. The next time you’re looking for a quick meal solution, simply pop out some previously frozen leftovers.