Food waste is a big problem in many households. It’s something that we can easily avoid, but many of us still do it. Here are some tips for reducing your family’s food waste:
- Plan meals and shop accordingly. You can save money by planning meals around what ingredients are on sale at the grocery store. For example, buy some ground beef when it’s on sale and use it in a slow cooker recipe later in the week instead of buying something more expensive off-the-cuff.
- Be sure to refrigerate perishables immediately after shopping and unpack produce as soon as possible upon arriving home from the grocery store so it can breathe more freely before being stored in the fridge or pantry.
- Store all leftovers properly — in glass or plastic containers with tight lids — so they don’t spoil quickly and can be used up before going bad.
- Eat what you have in your refrigerator before buying more groceries so there’s no room left for new items that may go unused.
- Don’t buy more than you need: This may seem obvious, but many people buy too much food at once because they’re unsure how much they’ll actually eat. If you’re buying fruits or vegetables that will go bad quickly, only buy what you think you’ll use right away. And if it’s something like ground beef or tuna fish that has a longer shelf life, consider freezing part of it so that you can use it at a later date without having to buy another full package.
- Keep an eye out for things that are close to their use by date and use them before they go bad.
- Use up leftovers from previous meals before buying new food. This way you won’t be tempted to buy more than you need and will save money too!
