Food waste is a financial and ecological strain that many home cooks are now desperately trying to avoid. So, how can you be better about using what you have on hand? Here are our five tips for using up everything in your fridge to the fullest.
Plan Meals More Often
How often do you find yourself buying groceries without a clear plan? Creating a meal plan for the week can help you purchase only what you need—and avoid the junk food aisle, where we’re all so prone to taking a stroll down when we aren’t sure what we’re buying.
Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what you already have. Then, list meals you can prepare with those items first and jot down the additional ingredients you need.
Know How to Store Food
Proper storage can significantly extend the lifespan of your food. For instance, tomatoes should be kept at room temperature so they don’t get mealy, while leafy greens thrive in a humid environment in the fridge. Using airtight containers for leftovers and placing older items at the front of the fridge can also remind you to consume them first.
Understanding how food ripens can help you control the process as well, like placing bananas in the fridge to prevent them from going brown too quickly. Some food will also ripen faster depending on what you pair it with. Onions and potatoes shouldn’t be stored together, as the potatoes can cause the onions to go bad way too quickly.
Understand Expiration vs. “Best By” Dates
If you’re one of the many people that toss food aside the minute the expiration date comes, then you might wanna hear this: some food has a “best by” date that is definitely not an expiration date!
This just means that the food’s perceived freshness goes south after that date passes. But you should ultimately trust your senses—look, smell, and taste the food before discarding it. Many items are still good past their “best before” dates.
Compost (It’s Easier Than You Think)
Even with the best intentions, some food waste is inevitable. But you can still be part of the solution by composting your food waste! Composting is an excellent way to recycle food scraps into nutrient-rich soil for your garden.
It reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and provides a sustainable way to manage organic waste. You can compost fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and more. And many compost bins can now sit on your counter and do all the heavy lifting for you!
Get Creative With Leftovers
Leftovers often get a bad rap, but they can be transformed into delicious new meals if you’re smart about using them. Let’s say you have some leftover roast vegetables from a barbecue with friends.
You’re not too keen on reheating these in the microwave and eating them as is. But we’d bet that they’d be a welcome addition to something else like a frittata! The more you think outside the box, the less likely you are to toss aside perfectly good food.
6 Foods to Avoid in 2024
As the world wakes up to healthier food options, more and more people are choosing foods that can increase their overall health. There are so many different options out there, so it can be confusing and overwhelming to know which ones to choose and which ones to avoid.
Perhaps the best way to start on a healthier food journey is to cut out all the unhealthy foods that don’t add any nutritional value to your diet. Read on as we discuss six unhealthy foods to avoid if you want to live a healthy life.
12 Foods You Can Eat a Lot of Without Gaining Weight
Are there foods you’ve always avoided in the hope that they don’t mess with your weight? While some foods are high in calories and can make you gain weight, a restrictive diet isn’t always the answer. Interestingly, some foods you could be avoiding could be the key to loosing weight.
These are some of the foods you can eat without gaining weight. Most of these foods have fiber, protein, and good fats to boost satiety and sustain energy throughout the day.
Let’s discuss 12 foods you can eat a lot of without gaining weight.
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