Today, around one third of food produced in the US ends up as waste. Unnecessarily and improperly disposed food waste can exacerbate the climate crisis. When thrown into landfills, food waste generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas, while also wasting the fuel and energy used for the product’s production and transportation.
Most people throw away more food than they realize, for a variety of reasons. Luckily, some small changes can help you to keep track of what food you have at home and help you make it last. Here are some tips to help you save food at home, and make the most of what you buy:
- Donate shelf stable, non expired food to food banks. When you have extra food or resources, consider donating them and supporting your community instead of letting them go unused.
- Consider donating to the UW Pantry or the U District Food Bank.
- Avoid over purchasing groceries. Plan meals and stick to your shopping list. This way you know exactly how much you need to buy.
- Keep an inventory of the food you have at home. If you do this, you can even use a recipe generator to help you figure out what to cook with what you already have!
- Properly store your groceries. Know which fruits and vegetables can’t be stored together. Some fruits like apples and bananas naturally release a gas which can make other produce like lettuce and broccoli ripen too fast if they’re stored together.
- Even if food is past its prime, it may still be fine for cooking. Repurpose items and try new recipes, like stale bread for croutons, or wilted green for soups.
- Keep your veggie scraps. These can be stored in your freezer and used to create soup stock.
- Utilize your freezer. This is a great way to store foods that you are worried will go bad before you can eat them.
- Understand the difference between ‘expiration dates,’ ‘best-by’ dates and ‘use-by’ dates. Confusion over labeling can cause perfectly edible food to become food waste.
Sources/Reading List:
Learn more general tips about preventing food waste:
World Wildlife Fund - Fighting Climate Change by Preventing Food Waste
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - Tips to Reduce Food Waste
United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) - Tips to Reduce Food Waste
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Preventing Food Waste
Learn more about storing your food properly:
New York Times Guide on Keeping Produce Fresh
Hennepin County - Storing Food to Make it Last