Avoiding Wasted Food
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Collapse ▲Here’s something to think about. How much food do you and your family waste? I hope you’re thinking “not much”. But you may be surprised if you kept track.
Most of us don’t realize how much food we’re wasting. It could be that lonely shriveled carrot in the back of the drawer in the fridge, a “doggie bag” from a restaurant that was forgotten or if you’re like me, you got carried away at a farmer’s market and had more produce that could be eaten before it went bad.
It’s estimated that over 37 million tons of food are wasted each year in the United
States. That’s a lot of food that could potentially be on our plates and not in landfills.
That’s also a lot of wasted money—estimates range from $640 to $1500 a year for an
average family of four.
The folks at More in My Basket at NC State have some tips that can save trips to the
grocery store, reduce food waste and more importantly keep money in your pocket:
Plan your next grocery trip: Write down all the items you need to purchase and bring the list with you. To avoid over purchasing, when making your grocery list, think of how many meals you and your family will be eating at home this week. Be sure to check your pantry and refrigerator to avoid buying duplicates. Having a list will help keep you from getting distracted by displays at the store that entice you to buy things you don’t need.
Store Fresh Items Properly: Most produce should be stored in the fridge. Some items
like mangos, melons and pineapple can be stored at room temperature until they are
cut. Tomatoes and avocados can be kept at room temp until they ripen and then put in the refrigerator. Bananas and apples can be stored at room temperature. Potatoes and onions should be stored outside the refrigerator in a cool dark place.
Prepare Fruits: After purchasing those larger fruits, prepare them for snacking and
cooking throughout the week. For example, remove the rind from pineapple and
melons, cut them into chunks and place them in airtight storage containers in the fridge for easy consumption.
Think about FIFO (that’s First In, First Out): Arrange foods in your refrigerator or pantry based on how old they are or when they should be eaten. This helps keep them from getting shoved to the back and forgotten.
Freezer Meals: Large batch meals are great candidates for portioning to freeze to eat
later. Casseroles, one-pot recipes, soups and stews are ideal. Freezing half of the
prepared meal will help ensure that your leftover-hating family doesn’t tire of the same food. Be sure to indicate on the container when the meal was cooked and frozen. Then, don’t forget they are there, try to eat them within three months for best quality.
Create Several Meals from the Same Item: Large food items such as rotisserie chicken may take several days to consume. With some creativity, multiple meals can be made from that one chicken.
Avoid Plate Waste: When serving your plate, choose smaller portions. You can always go back for more later. If you have food on your plate you can’t finish, can you wrap and eat for lunch tomorrow instead of scraping it into the trash or garbage disposal?
Recycle food scraps: Instead of mixing your food scraps with other trash, recycle them into compost. Another thought (before composting) is to turn those vegetable scraps (like broccoli stalks, carrot tops and mushroom bottoms) into a vegetable stock that can be used in place of purchased broth or stock. You can save the uncooked scraps in a sealed container in the freezer until you have enough to make a stock.
Order out wisely: If you decide to eat out during the week, make sure to only order
what you can finish. Perhaps you can share an entrée with a companion. If you do take leftovers, get them home and into the refrigerator as soon as possible and eat within a day or two.
More In My Basket (MIMB) was developed in 2010 at NC State University to increase
food security through education and application assistance. MIMB is a research-based program that can help families shop and cook smart, avoid food waste and have enough to eat.
Low-resource families might be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, or SNAP. SNAP is the program designed to assist families with nutritious
foods, you may know it by its former name of “food stamps”.
The MIMB team provides assistance to those interested in applying for SNAP. They can answer questions and conduct screenings to help determine eligibility for SNAP. To learn more, contact the More In My Basket team toll-free at 1-855-240-1451 or visit morefood.org. MIMB serves all of North Carolina.
Additional Resources:
https://morefood.org/?s=food+waste
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food
https://www.usda.gov/food-loss-and-waste
https://brunswick.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/04/avoiding-food-waste-at-home/
Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at NC
Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at
clsyracu@ncsu.edu