How to Fight Food Waste: A 10-Step Guide
For me, a better bite is an informed bite. So, let’s talk about one of the things regarding food that upsets me the most in life – food waste. Did you know that about 40% of the food grown in America ends up in landfills?! Food waste comes from various sources – mainly from spoilage, overproduction, and overbuying.
Food waste is frustrating and upsetting not only because food is being thrown in the trash. For starters, food waste directly harms our environment. When food is disposed in a landfill it rots and becomes a significant source of methane – a potent greenhouse gas with 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Food waste also equates to water waste. When throwing out millions of tons of food, we also waste the millions of gallons of water that was used to plant, grow, sustain, or otherwise produce it. The same goes for gas and oil. To waste all that food each year also means that all of the oil and fuel that has gone into the production of that food is wasted as well.
Possibly the thing about food waste that bothers me the most is the fact that hunger in America is still a very prominent issue. More than 37 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including more than 11 million children. Yet we are throwing out food left and right without thinking twice.
What’s even more frustrating is that often times, food gets rejected from being sold at supermarkets just for not being “perfect” and having minor flaws, such as bruising or not being the right shape/size. So, perfectly edible food gets tossed in the trash before even making it to the produce aisle. Yes, that’s right – wholesome food that could have helped feed families in need is being sent to landfills.
So where am I getting at with all of this? Although new policies are definitely in dire need to solve the problem at a greater scale, we can all play our part in reducing food waste, and here are just a few ways to do so:
1. Stop overbuying.
Most people are guilty of buying more food than they need. When you buy more than what you can physically eat for the week, excess food is more likely to sit in your fridge way past its shelf life, and therefore go bad before you get to eat it. A simple way to prevent the food in your fridge from spoiling, and therefore being tossed in the trash, is to make smaller frequent trips to the market and only buy just enough for what you and your family need for the week. If you live very far away from a supermarket, I understand that this may be a bit challenging and you may feel the need to buy large amounts to stock up and avoid having to travel back and forth more than necessary. In that case, keep reading.
2. Become buddies with your freezer.
If you do tend to overbuy, learn to freeze your fresh fruits and veggies just before they go bad. Then, incorporate them into meals as you see fit. Frozen bananas and berries are great for blending into smoothie bowls, and frozen veggies can turn into a delicious soup or stew. I’ve even thrown avocados and sliced bread into the freezer to extend their shelf life. The freezer has no limits, except for space of course.
3. Use ALL PARTS of your produce.
It literally drives me nuts to see people chop off the equally edible parts of their vegetables and throw them in the trash. You’d be surprised at how much waste comes from the scraps and trimming of parts of veggies deemed as “inedible.” I’m here to tell you that you do not have to peel your apples, carrots, and potatoes (just scrub and wash them well) and the stems of your parsley are just as edible as the leaves (chop them up finely and throw them in salads, sauces, soups, etc.). Broccoli stalks are just as delicious and nutritious as the florets, beet greens can be sauteed with olive oil and garlic, and those leafy tops from your carrots make a great pesto. Get creative with your stems, stalks, and scraps. Not sure what to do with a particular vegetable scrap? The internet is your savior – their are tons of recipes online using common food scraps. For example, take a look at my leaf to root recipe for Pan-Fried Japanese Turnips.
4. Store food properly.
Many people do not know how to properly clean and store their newly purchased produce, which can lead to premature ripening, molding, and rotting. You can slow down ripening and spoilage by learning how to store your food correctly. For example, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, and onions should never be refrigerated, and instead should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, like the pantry. Onions should not be stored directly with potatoes, as they emit a gas that causes potatoes to over ripen and sprout quicker. Fruits like bananas, whole melons, avocados, mangoes, citrus, apples, and peaches should be stored at room temperature, and only refrigerated after they are ripe. Fruits and veggies that belong in the fridge should be stored separately, being that some fruits release gas that may cause veggies to over ripen and spoil. Another great tip that has saved my fruits and veggies from spoiling quickly is to wash your produce when you get home from the market, before storing. Washing your fruits and veggies right away helps get rid of bacteria that may cause spoilage. Plus, this way your fruits and veggies will then be clean and ready to be eaten or cooked right away when you need them next. Just be sure to let everything dry completely on a dish towel, as excess water can also speed up spoilage, and then pop them in their appropriate storage spaces. Another tip: Store delicate produce like berries, herbs, and greens in a plastic container or a Ziploc bag with a piece of napkin or paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture.
5. Try meal prepping.
Meal prepping is the practice of cooking meals in bulk ahead of time to have for the week. This is a smart and practical way to use up food before it has a chance to go bad. Plus, it is also a time saver for anyone with a busy schedule. Spending a couple hours making a large amount of meals when you do have a day off, on a Sunday for example, will ensure that you have a wholesome nutritious meal to eat when you don’t have time to cook, from Monday to Friday let’s say. I recently had someone comment on one of my recipes that yields multiple servings saying “This looks great. I would love to try this, but I usually just cook for myself. ” So, if you happen to live alone, and have been itching to try out a recipe that serves 4 people, meal prepping is the perfect opportunity to do so!
6. Show leftovers some love.
Whether you have leftover food from lunch at a restaurant or from a dinner party, EAT IT. I was a waitress for many years, and I cannot begin to tell you how many times my customers would order a good amount of food, eat half of it, enjoy it and say it was delicious, but not take home the rest of it. I’ve had to unfortunately, and sometimes even unwillingly, scrape perfectly edible food off plates, straight into the garbage bin. If there is nothing majorly wrong with the food that you ordered at a restaurant, take your leftovers home to be enjoyed later in the day or the next day. The same goes for leftovers from gathering and parties. An easy and interesting way to use up leftovers? Repurpose them. You can turn your “boring” leftovers into a whole new dish. Leftover rice can turn into fried rice or can be incorporated into casseroles. Leftover veggies can be diced and added to your morning omelette. Leftover meats can be sliced or shredded and thrown into tacos, sandwiches, pasta, or salads. Get creative!
7. Stay organized.
We’ve already clarified that overbuying and overstocking can lead to food waste. Likewise, shoving everything into your fridge and pantry without order can cause you to forget about what you have, leaving it to be untouched and most likely go bad. The best way to know what’s is in your fridge/pantry, and hence use up what’s in your fridge/pantry, is to be able to see what’s in there. Organize items with other like items – veggies with veggies, fruits with fruits, baking necessities with baking necessities, etc. Also, store leftovers in clear containers so you can easily see what you have when you open the fridge. I’ve even went to the extreme a few times and labeled things with post its. Whatever it takes to know and use up what you have.
8. Start composting (if you can).
Compost is organic material (food scraps in this case) that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Composting food scraps and uneaten food is a great way to prevent food from going into landfills, and instead returning it to soil to become energy for plants. You can easily compost food scraps at home, in your own backyard. If you do not have space for an outdoor compost pile, you can compost materials indoors using a special type of bin, which you can buy at a local hardware store, gardening supplies store, or make yourself. To read more about composting at home, here is a useful guide from the Environmental Protection Agency. If you are unable to compost at home, you may be able to drop off food scraps at your local farmer’s market.
9. Know your dates and use your senses.
The sell by, best by, and use by dates printed on food packaging can be very confusing and misleading. “Sell by” is used to inform markets when the product should be sold or removed from the shelves. “Best by” is a suggested date that consumers should use their products by. Neither of these indicate that food is inedible and should automatically be thrown away past those dates. Instead of relying on these dates, use your senses! If a food item is giving off a foul order, has visible mold, feels slimy, or tastes off, it’s time is up.
10. Support food rescue organizations.
Thankfully, there are businesses, policymakers, farmers, researchers, and the funding and donor communities taking actions to tackle food waste. There are an increasing number of organizations taking actions actions to divert food from landfills – actions like rescuing unused foods from restaurants, grocers, bakeries, manufacturers, and farms, and delivering them to food programs and/or consumers. There is even a growing list of innovative businesses that use scraps and byproducts that usually end up in the trash to make new products, like snack bars and ice cream – cool right? I will say, one of my favorite organizations on a mission to fight food waste is Imperfect Foods. Above, I mentioned that part of the problem is that totally edible food winds up in the trash before even making it to supermarket shelves, all for not being “perfect” enough. Well, that’s where Imperfect Foods steps in. They rescue “imperfect” (yet delicious) produce, affordable pantry items, and quality eggs and dairy that is deemed as unsellable, and offer it to the public for purchase. They deliver everything conveniently to your doorstep, and even pride themselves on offering up to a 30% discount compared to grocery store prices. I adore this business, and many others like it, because it allows me to kill two birds with one stone – I get to help fight food waste while also having access to nutritious affordable food.
In conclusion,
food waste is a huge problem that we all need to work together to put an end to. These 10 steps I provided are definitely not the only possible solutions out there. There are multiple levels to the issue at hand, and policies absolutely need to be put in place to hold restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, schools, hotels, and any other organizations accountable for contributing to waste, as well as policies to create actual solutions and guidelines to reducing waste. But, for now, we can all absolutely operate at our own individual levels and create our own policies and procedures at home. Even if you can incorporate half of these recommendations into your daily life, you can surely make a a difference. Little efforts can lead to big changes.