Food waste is a big problem that is costing us a lot of money and is bad for our planet. There are some easy ways to reduce this waste and save money.
In the US, 30-40% of the food supply is wasted! That’s more than 20 pounds of food per person, per month. Not only does that waste contribute to pollution, it also is wasting us a lot of money.
Things like meal planning, labeling and dating leftovers, planning your shopping trips, and even once a month grocery shopping can help prevent food waste.
There are so many other great tips to help you reduce food waste. Below are some bloggers’ top tips. They are sure to help you stop the food waste and save money.
Top Tips for Reducing Food Waste
We’ve all had lettuce go bad. Sometimes it seems like the day after you bring it home it’s already going bad. Victoria at A Modern Homestead used to deal with this issue but not anymore. She learned a tip that can help keep lettuce fresh for up to 5 weeks.
Merissa at Little House Living shares a lot of great tips for helping make your produce last. Produce is something that gets wasted a lot because of improper storage so be sure you are storing your’s correctly
It’s never fun to be craving guacamole and go to the fridge and find it brown and gross. Paula at Dinner with the Rollos find the secret to keeping guacamole green longer and it’s simple!
No one likes a soft apple but don’t throw them out just yet. Habiba from Craftify My Life has an apple sauce recipe for using up old apples.
All food waste is bad but there is something extra sad about throwing away desserts that have gone bad. Thankfully Jennifer at The Jenny Evolution has tips on freezing cookies and desserts.
You don’t even have to waste your citrus peels. They are great for cleaning your garbage disposal. Over on Retro Housewife Goes Green you can learn how to deep clean your garbage disposal with citrus peels.
You can also use lemons that are past their prime for cleaning. Bren at Bren Did has 15 all-natural homemade lemon cleaning products that are perfect for those lemons you need to use up.
Another way to prevent wasting lemons and limes is by juicing them and freezing the juice. Kalyn at Kalyn’s Kitchen shares how to properly freeze fresh lemon and lime juice. She also has great tips for freezing fresh basil.
Did you know you can also freeze kiwi? Stock up when they are in season and freeze them for smoothies later. Pam at Sidewalk Shoes shares an easy way to freeze kiwi.
Garlic scapes are a food that is often wasted before we can ever end up with it. They are often cut off to allow the garlic bulb to grow larger. If you garden or can find some at a farmers’ market Ellen at Confessions of an Overworked Mom has some tips for preserving garlic scapes.
What about once you have cut fresh fruit, can you still keep it fresh? Yes, there are ways to prolong the life of cut fresh fruit as well. Kim at Two Kids and a Coupon has great tips for keeping cut fruit fresh.
Did you know you can also freeze milk? Spoiled milk isn’t something any of us want to deal with so Victoria at A Modern Homestead shares how you can freeze milk and thaw it perfectly.
If you have chickens or just don’t always get around to eating all of your eggs, you may be wondering what you can do to avoid wasting them. Karrie at Happy Money Saver shares how you can freeze eggs.
When Food Does Go Bad
Even following the above tips you will likely end up with some food that is forgotten. For non-animal products the best way to deal with this is by composting. It helps keep more food waste out of the landfill and creates useful compost that can be used in food or flower gardens.
Helpful Composting Supplies
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Habiba
Wow – I love this list of ideas! I don’t like to throw away food, and I found quite a view ways to plan or store my food better. But there are definitely ideas here, that are new to me! Thank you for this post!!!