6 Tips To Help Reduce Your Food Waste In The Kitchen
Reducing food loss and waste is critical in a world where millions of people go hungry daily. Tossing extra ingredients or leftovers never feels good, whether it’s because of the high cost of such waste or the shame of not being able to use those extras. Despite this, many of us are guilty of doing it. Food waste has become a common practice for many people around the world. Buying more food than we need at markets, allowing fruits and vegetables to spoil at home, or taking greater portions than we can eat is leading to wastage. Here are some tips to help reduce your food waste in the kitchen.
Create a meal plan
Planning for at least a few meals each week is an excellent way to ensure that you are eating healthy foods. It also keeps you from buying too much food because you feel obligated to stock up. Plan your meals so that you don’t use entirely different ingredients for each recipe; you can plan to serve broccoli as a side dish one night and as a casserole the next.
Store food correctly
Many people do not know how to properly store fruits and vegetables, which can cause premature ripening and, eventually, rotten produce. Improper storage results in massive food waste. For example, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, potatoes, and garlic should never be refrigerated. You must store these items at room temperature. Another great way to reduce food spoilage is to separate foods that produce more ethylene gas from those that do not. Ethylene accelerates ripening in foods and may cause spoilage.
Keep your fridge organized
Out of sight, out of mind, you’ve probably heard. It is especially true when it comes to food. While having a well-stocked fridge can be beneficial, having an overly full fridge can be detrimental to food waste. Keep your fridge organized; you’ll know what’s in there and when you bought it to avoid food spoilage. The first in, first out method is an appropriate way to stock your fridge. When you buy a new carton of berries, place the recent package behind the old one. It helps to ensure that you don’t waste older food.
Wrap greens in cloth
Some people wrap vegetables in tin foil or paper towels to keep them fresh, but this is not a sustainable solution. Instead, rinse your greens, such as lettuce and spinach, and wrap them loosely in a cloth tea towel.
Rinse berries with vinegar
Rinsing berries with vinegar can help them last longer by removing bacteria and mold spores. Combine 1 cup of vinegar and 3 cups of water in a bowl, then add the berries. To remove the vinegar flavor, drain and then rinse. To remove excess moisture, pat dry or spin in a salad spinner before storing.
Reuse scrap
Instead of throwing away fruit scraps, put them to use in other recipes. You can add cinnamon sugar to apple peels and roast them for a snack. Grate citrus peels to get the zest and freeze them for later use. Freeze vegetable scraps in a bag or container to make homemade stock. Roasted potato peels with seasoning and cheese make a tasty snack.
