The New Year is here and with that comes a time to reflect and set goals for the upcoming year. A goal that just about everyone can set for the year is to reduce their food waste.
There is significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts due to the enormous amount of food thrown out by Canadians every year. Many Canadians want to reduce their food waste in their homes, but aren’t sure how. Below are five easy ways to help reduce your household waste that you can start implementing today!
Composting
Most municipalities offer compost services in Canada. This service is great because it reduces the amount of garbage being produced in a household and ultimately makes garbage day a lot easier. Not a fan of having compost open in your kitchen due to the smell or potential for bugs? Set up your compost in your freezer! The scraps get frozen, there’s no smell and it’s easy to empty when it’s time.
Better Food Storage
Reducing the amount of air and moisture that is exposed to your produce and cooked food will help prolong it’s life. Be sure to keep fruits and vegetables in proper crisp drawers and once produce is cut open, be sure to store it in a sealed reusable bag or beeswax wrap. We love using beeswax wraps as it lets the produce breathe but still keeps it wrapped so it prolongs its life. If you are noticing that some of your fruits or vegetables are nearing the end of their life but don’t want to eat them, freeze them!
Planning Meals
This tip definitely takes the most amount of time, but there is something to be said about having all of your meals organized for the week. It saves time, money, stress and reduces food waste. Planning meals also reduces impulse purchases.
Saving Food Scraps
Food scraps are often seen as garbage, but they can serve a purpose! Vegetable scraps? Freeze them to use later for stocks and soups. Fruit scraps? Freeze them for smoothies or make your own apple cider vinegar. Usually toss the ends of the loaf of bread? Dry them out to make breadcrumbs instead!
Limit Eating Out
This can be a hard one for many, but instead of eating out at restaurants when your food is getting low, get creative in the kitchen! Use up the odds and ends of what you have in your pantry and fridge to make a meal at home instead. It will not only save you money, but will use up your food before it has a chance to spoil.
If you’re interested in learning more ways to reduce your food waste, read Waste Reducing Tips at the Grocery Store. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and tag us with your local food creations. You can also follow the conversation by following #eatlocal.