Chad Frischmann’s Ted Talk focused on the many ways we can act to reverse global warming. What he found was that 8 of the top 20 solutions to reversing global warming are related to food, and one of the most important ones involves cutting back on food waste. Frischmann found in his research that 1/3 of all food produced is gone to waste, which contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gasses. In this post, we are going to list a few easy ways you can prevent food from going to waste in your everyday lives!
1. Smart Shopping
This first tip is super easy and is something you can start doing right away. When going grocery shopping, plan your meals, make a grocery list, and know exactly what you need to buy. This is also a great way to stay on a healthy diet, and even save money while grocery shopping. Smart shopping also includes not buying more of the same ingredient until you’ve completely run out at home.
2. Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover
Grocery stores are forced to throw out so many fruits and vegetables because they may have a different shape, or be slightly off color from what we think they “should” look like. However, most of the time, these ingredients are good to eat, and by buying them you’ll prevent the grocery store from throwing them away uneaten.
3. Practice FIFO- First In, First Out!
When putting away your groceries, try to put the older ingredients in the front so you are most likely to consume those before they go bad. This way, you’re more likely to eat these foods before they expire.
4. Take Notes!
Sometimes it’s inevitable to throw food away. However, when you do, write down which foods you are tossing each week and compare them to the week before. This way, you can check if you’re over buying certain ingredients and notice if there is a pattern.
5. Eat Your Leftovers!
Eating leftovers can be as simple as packing them for lunch the next day or even designating a day of the week for a leftover night. If you don’t want to eat the same thing as the day before, freeze your meal and save it for a few days later. A good tip for freezing leftovers is to put a post-it note of the date on the container so you can recall how old it is and eat it in a timely fashion.
6. Is Your Refridgerator Running?
Check your fridge to make sure that it’s working properly to prevent food from going bad unnecessarily. Sometimes, the temperature could be a bit too low, or it may be time to update your refrigerator.
7. Donate!
It’s more common and easier to remember to donate canned food during the Holiday season. However, this is something that can be done all year and is an awesome way to prevent food from going to waste and help out those who might need it.
8. Compost!
Composting is a lot easier than many people think. You can start a compost pile in your backyard, or even under your sink!
9. Share a Meal!
If you continue to go out to your favorite restaurant, but find yourself not finishing your meal, share it with a friend! A lot of the time, restaurant portion sizes are way too large for just one person. This is a great way to save food and money!
10. Share These Tips with a Friend
Cutting back on wasted food is not as intimidating as it seems, and the more people know about it, the better! Share this advice with a friend and encourage them to do the same. Just being aware of the issue can make people more conscious of the food they are throwing away.
Meisterdish 