Take Five: Reducing Food Waste
I am enjoying these Take Five posts as I view them as a way to review and improve some of the habits that I’ve learned over the past couple of years trying to live in a more sustainable manner. As I’ve written about before, one of the biggest shifts in my kitchen management has been the reduction of food waste. No, I don’t like leftovers any more than I used to, but I’ve learned to plan better, be creative with the freezer and pantry, and to transform leftovers into something tasty and different, thereby never getting bored (or almost never). Here are some quick tips, most of which take just a minute or less, that will contribute to wasting less food which translates into saving money and being more environmentally responsible:
–Take an inventory of your pantry or freezer — one of the best ways to avoid waste is to know what you have on hand and to prioritize the preparation of anything that is approaching its use by date. I have taken to writing down the contents on a note outside the fridge so I don’t accidentally miss seeing something crucial (I am also short).
–Label containers and bags before placing leftovers in the freezer — this was a big change from previous years, now I know what the frozen item is and the date I froze it. No more mystery ziplocs lurking in the bottom of the freezer
–Make pickles or other items that use up older produce — I have enjoyed this recipe for marinated carrots and am branching out to homemade fermented foods. If you subscribe to a CSA box, it might be fun to try different things with produce that you haven’t cooked before.
–Spend a couple of minutes looking for tasty recipes that incorporate leftovers — I discovered recipes that I adapted for Brazilian seafood stew by typing some of the ingredients into google. There are now so many great recipe sites and blogs that you can become very creative.
–Purchase critical staples that you don’t want to run out of in pairs (or bulk) — I make sure that I have things like canned tomatoes on hand in case I want to add some to a soup or flavor a stew. Rather than risking running out, I always buy extra.
shared at Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday
Great list. I need to make a list of the food in the fridge – I forget too easily and then it goes to waste.
I like the idea of leaving a note on the outside of the fridge. We’ve missed a few things because they got shoved to the back.
I have a weekly wipe-off board in the kitchen that I think I will use to list the items that need to be used on their last usable date, or maybe the day before. I think meat, even cooked meat, can only be in the fridge for a few days. Cheese can last longer, maybe a week.
I made a double batch of pancake mix last week, but didn’t have time to use it up. Then I forgot about it for a little too long. It looked okay, but tasted terrible when I made pancakes.
Christy, when I think of all of the food I used to throw out, I have to pause a bit. The notes on the fridge definitely help.
Barb, I have become more aggressive of putting things in the freezer right away, even if I think I might use it in 3 days or so. Of course, my freezer is a bit too full
I just did a freezer inventory yesterday and was pleased to see I have all but one of the provisions to make lasagna! You tend to forget if you don’t check it out once in a while.
One thing I also like to do: if leftovers aren’t eaten within a day or two, they go into the freezer. That works especially well with hamburger and hot dog rolls–we always seem to have one or two left, LOL!
mom2fur, yes, I’ve had to implement the same rule for putting things in the freezer. Thanks for sharing.