We’ve all been there: you’re cleaning out your fridge at the end of the week and you realize that you’re throwing away a bunch of perfectly good food that you let go to waste.
If you’re looking to learn how to reduce food waste, you come to the right place! Read on to find out our favorite tips on how to reduce food waste in your home.
Start At the Source
When it comes to food waste, the easiest place to start is the grocery store. Rather than trying to use up a bunch of food that you’ll have trouble eating, try buying less food in the first place.
Not only will this save food from being wasted, but it will save you money, too! Only buy what you need, and make a list before you go to the store. That way, you know exactly what you need to buy each week.
It’s also a good idea to avoid shopping hungry, as this can cause you to buy way more food than you originally intended. Shopping smart can help save you from some of the surprisingly bad impacts of food waste. Check it out!
Organize Your Kitchen
When you’re learning how to reduce food waste, one of your biggest assets is your ability to store food correctly. By organizing your refrigerator and pantry, you can help your food stay fresher for longer.
For example, having a designated fruit drawer in your refrigerator can help keep all of your fruit in one place. Many refrigerators even have built-in settings to help with this organizational process.
In the same vein, it’s useful to know that the back of your fridge is usually much colder than the front. For items that you want to stay fresher longer, try putting them towards the back wall of your refrigerator.
You should also consider ensuring that you have the right equipment in your kitchen. It isn’t about having all of the gadgets. Making sure you have dent pans, a look online for the best carbon steel wok to make the most of quick dinners, and even having a decent set of knives can make cooking easier. When you have leftovers, it can be great to put them all in a pan and let the flavours come together, and having the right equipment in your kitchen cupboards can help you to do that.
In the same vein, it’s useful to know that the back of your fridge is usually much colder than the front. For items that you want to stay fresher longer, try putting them towards the back wall of your refrigerator.
Make Use of Your Freezer
Speaking of keeping food cold, make sure that you’re using your freezer to its fullest potential. We are told over and over again frozen food is bad, but that doesn’t apply to fresh Food like chicken breasts that you have frozen yourself.
Freezing food is a great way to cut down on your food waste. Whether you accidentally bought too much at the store or you shop in bulk on a regular basis, freezing meats and veggies can help preserve them until you’re ready to use them so that they don’t go to waste.
Learn to Tell What’s Good and What’s Spoiled
Another useful hack to know when it comes to illuminating food waste is how to read expiration dates like a pro. It may seem easy enough… The date on the packaging tells you when it’s no longer healthy or safe to eat food.
But in reality, expiration dates are often more of a suggestion that a hard and fast rule. No to food items will spoil at the same rate, so to eliminate food waste consider using your senses of smell, sight, and taste to help you determine if your food is spoiled.
How to Reduce Food Waste: Make An Impact!
When it comes to food waste, we could all chip in and do our part to make the world a better place. To learn more about how to keep your kitchen running smoothly, check out our other blog posts!
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