Spinach 4 Breakfast's Top Tips to Reduce Waste
I’m going to share a secret :) It’s my number one easy way to help reduce food waste, save money, and make mealtime so much easier... It’s writing down a concrete plan for meals each week!
I’ll walk you through my process. At some point over the weekend, usually on Saturdays, I’ll write down 3-4 meals I want to make for my family the following week. I pick only 3-4 because the reality is I am not going to cook every night. So those meals, plus a random creation and getting take-out once or twice get me through the week without over-estimating. I then make a list of the grocery items I need for those meals, plus my usual essentials. When I am grocery shopping I stick to the list! That way during the week I not only know what I am making for dinner which saves a ton of time, but I am actually using up all of the food I buy so none of it goes to waste.
Usually, by the end of the week, I make a “clean-out-the-fridge meal,” to use up whatever is still hanging around. Sometimes those come out the best :)
I have a few other strategies that I have also been trying to incorporate to reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away in my own home.
Invest in really good food storage containers! It makes a huge difference for how long you can keep food fresh. My favorites are the Rubbermaid Brilliance glass containers. They have an airtight seal that works like magic.
When in doubt, freeze it! If I am not positive I am going to use something, I always choose to freeze it so it doesn’t get accidentally wasted. Check out Too Good To Go's freezing guide here.
Move the food that expires first to the front of your fridge and cabinets so you don’t forget about it.
Get creative with your recipes. I’m all for the planning ahead strategy, but if you are left with some random things by the end of the week, have a few good soup and Buddha bowl ideas to use everything up.
Something else that I have recently started doing thanks to Too Good To Go, is purchasing surprise bags from some of my favorite cafes and restaurants nearby. I get some of my favorite baked goods, while also helping to prevent the food from being thrown away at the end of the day. It’s a win-win!
Saving food to help the plant really needs to be a team effort. We don’t have to be perfect, I am certainly not, but keeping these ideas at the forefront of my mind really does help me make better choices.
Maria xo