It’s easy to overlook mundane, routine behaviors. But one of the costliest, most destructive things we do happens every day: wasting food.
In 2021, 80 million tons of food was wasted in the United States. Food waste in our homes made up almost 55% of this total — with about 43 million tons of food ending up in the trash!
But food waste isn’t only detrimental to our wallets; it’s a major environmental issue.
Wasted food also means wasting all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. Then there’s the issue of greenhouse gases (rotting food produces methane). Wasted food produces over 32 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions in the US alone!
Whether in large portions or a little bit at a time, wasting food means you’re sending both food and money down the drain — and harming the environment in the process.
But the good news is there are a ton of simple things you can do to kick the habit. So, how can you reduce your food waste?
1. Store food products properly
One of the easiest ways to reduce food waste is learning how to properly store ingredients. Incorrectly storing food items, whether by leaving something out of the fridge or forgetting to add the lid to a container, causes food to spoil much faster than it would otherwise.
It’s also important to keep in mind what food waste actually is — it’s not just processed foods. Healthier people tend to waste more food than others because they’re likely to eat more fruits and vegetables — the food group that most ends up in the bin.
Many fruits and vegetables need to be stored differently, so doing a little bit of research to find the best methods can save you a lot of money in the long run.
2. Plan and prep meals in advance
Pay close attention to sell-by and expiration dates on all food items, especially those labeled on produce and dairy products. By creating a weekly meal plan for you and your family, only buying what you need — while taking expiration dates into account — you can ensure food doesn’t rot under your watch.
Prepping meals is an excellent idea to help you reduce waste but also save you time in the kitchen — especially if you’re cooking up larger batches of one dish. On that note…
3. Freeze excess food
Freezing food that you won’t be able to finish before its expiration date is another effective way to minimize waste. Almost everything can be frozen and defrosted to perfection when done properly (placing items in the fridge overnight to defrost, for example).
Just don’t forget about what you’ve frozen and accidentally double up on ingredients. Regularly look inside your freezer to know what’s available to you before going to the grocery store.
4. Use every ingredient in your kitchen
We’ve all stood in front of the fridge, hungrily scanning full shelves for snacks and thinking, “I have nothing to eat!”— only to realize the irony of the situation.
To avoid doing this, consider adopting a minimalist lifestyle. It’ll help save you money and protect the environment because it’s driven by the idea that every product should be used in full (minimalists rarely have more than they need). And the same principle can be applied to our eating habits. Knowing what ingredients you have, using “the whole fish,” and buying in bulk are all ways of being resourceful.
Wasting food is, unfortunately, easy to do. But there are countless ways to break this habit. Maximizing every ingredient in your kitchen (in a timely manner) goes a long way toward saving the environment and your bank accounts. Waste not, want not — right?
Looking for inspiration to help you use up your ingredients? We’ve got tons of delicious tilapia recipes for you…