Food waste is a serious issue. Even in a plant-based household, fresh produce like fruits, vegetables, and grains can spoil if not stored properly or used in a timely manner. We can all do our part to reduce food waste at home.
Following are plenty of easy tips for spending less, saving money, and maximizing every delicious bit of fresh food. Learn how to reduce food waste in your vegan household with smart storage, meal planning, and creative tips.
1. Check Your Kitchen Before You Shop
Before heading to the grocery store, look into your fridge and pantry. It’s easy to forget what’s in there, especially what’s hiding in the back! Making a shopping list based on what you already have helps avoid buying things you don’t need. This simple habit prevents food waste by making sure you use what you already have before buying more.
2. Plan Your Meals Like a Pro
Meal planning in advance keeps grocery shopping focused and minimizes food waste. Also, planned meals require less time and energy to cook.Write out a few meal plans for the week and purchase only what you need.
Then, once you get home, put the freshest food where you’re more likely to see it. For example, if you see half a head of cabbage or a handful of leeks, design a dish based on those items.This way, you’ll using fresh ingredients wisely, and ensure that the food you buy is consumed.
3. Store Fruits and Vegetables the Right Way
Some fruits and vegetables need refrigeration, while others stay fresh longer at room temperature.
- Keep leafy greens in a damp cloth or paper towels inside a container to maintain their freshness.
- Potatoes and onions need to be stored separately in a dark place to prevent mold and spoilage.
- Bananas release ethylene gas, which can make other produce ripen faster—so it’s best store them away from fresh fruits and vegetables that spoil easily.
Good preservation techniques prevent food waste and ensure that you ingredients stay fresh and taste their best. Kitchen needs vary, even in a plant-based household. Investing in commercial kitchen equipment, like high-quality storage containers and efficient refrigeration, can help ensure maximum freshness and limit food waste at home.
4. Store Dry Goods the Smart Way
Pantry staples like rice, pasta, bread, beans, and nuts can last a long time if stored correctly. Use airtight containers to keep pests and moisture out and ensure that these staples last longer.
Labelling jars with date labels helps you to remember to use older items first. This helps prevent letting food sit unused for too long, and using it up before it becomes rancid.
5. Love Your Leftovers
You need not let leftovers go to waste. Instead, turn them into new meals! Last night’s roasted veggies can go into a wrap, and extra rice becomes the base for a stir-fry. Even stale bread can be transformed into croutons or breadcrumbs.
Storing leftovers in clear containers will encourage you to use them before making something new. It’s another great way to reduce food waste and create delicious new meals with minimal effort.
6. Turn Almost-Bad into Something Amazing
If you have bananas that are too soft or apples that are getting wrinkly, don’t toss them! Overripe fruit is perfect for smoothies, baking, or making sauces. Slightly wilted vegetables are great for stir-fries, soups, and curries. Even oddly shaped fruits or imperfect produce can be used in creative ways. Instead of throwing food away, find ways to make the most of every bite.
7. Get Creative with Scraps
Instead of tossing vegetable scraps, find ways to use them. Save cleaned carrot peels, onion skins, and herb stems in a freezer bag to make homemade soup stock. Citrus peels can be dried and used for flavoring tea. Fresh herbs like basil that are starting to wilt can be made into pesto. Finding new uses and vegan recipes for food scraps is a great alternative to throwing them out.
8. Bring Limp Veggies & Herbs Back to Life
When leafy greens begin to look wilted, perk them up by soaking in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes — this works equally well on lettuce, basil, and fresh herbs. You can also put fresh herbs with long stems, like parsely, into a glass of water — kind of like fresh flowers.This simple technique, which helps extend the life of perishable leafy produce, prevents unnecessary food waste.
9. Dish Up the Right Amount
Serving the right portion size helps prevent wasted food. Most people tend to overestimate how much they need. Start with a smaller plate and take more if you’re still hungry.
If you cook a generous amount, pack up leftovers right away. You can always freeze portions that you’ll be happy to thaw out and use at a later date, or use the next day as a portable lunch for school or office.
10. Freeze It Before You Waste It
Freezing food is a lifesaver! Extra bread, chopped vegetables, and fresh herbs can all go into the freezer for later use. You can freeze soups, pastas, and rice dishes in portion-sized containers to make meal prep easier.
Freezing in batches is a good way to prepare meals in advance while making it easy to maintain a waste-not-want-not-diet. There are all sorts of restaurant kitchen equipment options, such as blast freezers, which do an admirable job of preserving food, but at home, a simple freezer will do, along with airtight containers. Label everything with dates to remember what’s in the containers and when it was placed in the freezer.
11. Compost What You Can’t Eat
Food does spoil sometimes, despite our best efforts! Why not compost it, instead of throwing itin the trash? This converts food scraps into nutrient-rich soil, good for plants and the environment.
Even if you don’t maintain a garden, you may be able to take scraps to local composting programs. Composting is a good way to return vital nutrients to the soil.
12. Share the Love—Donate or Swap Food
If you have food you know won’t be used, find someone who will. Unopened pantry goods can be donated to a food bank, and you might trade excess fruit or vegetables with friends or neighbors. Food-sharing apps are another great alternative to throwing away perfectly edible food. The sharing of food not only prevents food waste but also aids fellow community members.
Every Small Step Counts!
Make small, reasonable decisions every day to reduce foodwaste. Each time you eat leftovers, store food properly, or compost food waste, you’re doing the environment a favor, utilizing the resources that went into farming, transportation, and production in the best way possible.
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