Ways on reducing food waste at home
As food waste a serious problem, you may be interested oh how to reduce food waste.Well, these are some tips for you on how to do just that.
1. SHOP SMART
Most people tend to buy more food than they need.
To avoid buying more food than you need, make frequent trips to the grocery store every few days rather than doing a bulk shopping trip once a week.
Make a point to use up all the food you purchased during the last trip to the market before buying, to reduce the chances of impulse purchasing.
2.STORE FOOD CORRECTLY
Improper storage leads to a massive amount of food waste.
According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, about two-thirds of household waste in the United Kingdom is due to food spoilage.
For instance, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers and onions should never be refrigerated. These items should be kept at room temperature.
Separating foods that produce more ethylene gas from those that don’t is another great way to reduce food spoilage. Ethylene promotes ripening in foods and could lead to spoilage.
Foods that produce ethylene gas while ripening include:
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Cantaloupes
- Peaches
- Pears
- Green onions
Keep these foods away from ethylene-sensitive produce like potatoes, apples, leafy greens, berries and peppers to avoid premature spoilage.
3. LEARN TO PRESERVE
While you might think fermenting and pickling are new fads, food preservation techniques like these have been used for thousands of years.
Pickling, drying, canning, fermenting, freezing and curing are all methods you can use to make food last longer, thus reducing waste.
Not only will these methods shrink your carbon footprint, they will save you money as well. What’s more, most preservation techniques are simple and can be fun.
4. DON'T BE A PERFECTIONIST
Though identical in taste and nutrition, so-called “ugly” fruits and vegetables get passed up for produce that is more pleasing to the eye.
The consumer demand for flawless fruits and vegetables has led major grocery chains to buy only picture-perfect produce from farmers. This leads to tons of perfectly good food going to waste.
It’s such a big issue that major grocery chains like Walmart and Whole Foods have started offering “ugly” fruits and vegetables at a discount in an attempt to reduce waste.
5. KEEP YOUR FRIDGE CLUTTER-FREE
You've probably heard the saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” This rings especially true when it comes to food.
While having a well-stocked fridge can be a good thing, an overly filled fridge can be bad when it comes to food waste.
A good way to stock your fridge is by using the FIFO method, which stands for “first in, first out.”
For example, when you buy a new carton of berries, place the newer package behind the old one. This helps ensure that older food gets used, not wasted.
For more tips, visit this website: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reduce-food-waste#section3
