Make the Most Out of Your Produce: Reduce Food Waste

Blog originally posted through WellCats Newsletter

Ever feel like you are throwing away unused produce every week? Food waste is an often overlooked, real concern in the United States. It’s estimated that over 150 trillion kilocalories per year or 38 million tons of produce are thrown away as food waste. That means that the average American wastes approximately 20 percent of fresh produce including vegetables and fruits annually.

Working to reduce food waste can not only save money but it can also help save the planet. Food waste accounts for 25% of freshwater use, excess consumption of fossil fuels, and substantial methane production from food waste accumulation in landfills. Being a conscientious consumer is an important way to reduce food waste and get the most out of your produce.

Three Ways to Prevent Waste

1. Plan for Success

Start by making a list with meals you plan to prepare for the week that you know your household already enjoys. Also consider how many meals you plan to eat at home. If you know you’ll be eating out, be sure to reduce your quantities to match what you will likely eat.

Before shopping, don’t forget to check your refrigerator and pantry. We often forget about the foods we already have in stock and that leads to excess purchasing of unneeded foods. It is also a good idea to avoid bulk discounts on produce that has a limited shelf life. Unless you know you can use it or freeze it, avoid it. This can help you save money and ensure you are eating healthier food. By buying no more than what you expect to use, you will be more likely to truly use all you purchase.

2. Know How to Store

Keeping food waste at a minimum is enhanced by properly storing fruits and vegetables to maintain maximum freshness. By keeping produce fresher, longer, they’re more likely to taste better helping ensuring you will eat more of them.

This can be done by freezing or preserving excess fruits and vegetables in the house. Be sure to store bananas, apples, and tomatoes by themselves, as they’re ripening can cause other fruits and vegetables to spoil faster. And, avoid washing berries until you want to eat them to prevent mold.

Some produce has a short lifespan once ripened. Plan to use fruits such as apricots, grapes, and berries, and vegetables such as herbs, sprouts, cucumbers, green beans, leafy greens, mushrooms, and peas within a couple of days of purchase. If you're unable to consume all the fresh produce you have on hand, simply freeze it. Cut fruits and cooked vegetables can be placed in air-tight containers or freezer safe bags for storing.

3. Smartly Prepare Fruits and Veggies

When preparing fruits and vegetables, try to use the entire fruit or vegetable, including all edible skins and seeds when possible.

If produce is at the end of its shelf life, get creative. Make smoothies using ripened fruits or make soups with leftover vegetables. Finely diced fruits can be used to make salsas or as toppings on salads. Roasted vegetables can also be easily added to morning eggs or mixed into pasta sauces.

If all else fails, COMPOST! Composting is easier than you think – it can be as simple as storing food scraps then taking those scraps to a market that composts. Or, if you choose, compost at home. With a little research, home composting can be a simple and effective way to reduce food waste and get the most from all your produce.