5 easy ways to reduce food waste at home
I’m sure many of you know that food waste is a huge problem, but did you know about 1.3 billion tons of food waste is produced each year globally, which is enough to feed 3 billion people? To put it into simple words, the human population consists of over 7 billion, of which 925 million are starving, yet we are still wasting large amounts of food every single day.
If you are looking to find ways to reduce food waste this blog post is perfect for you. I will be listing out 5 simple ways to reduce food waste in your day to day life that will take minimal effort so if you are interested, scroll down and keep on reading.
Check out my Instagram @sophiedeats for more sustainability infographics as well as low-effort food recipes!
1) Store leftovers carefully
If you happen to not finish your bowl of fried rice you made for dinner, make sure to store it as a leftover in an air-tight container in the fridge so you can reheat it and enjoy it another day.
An additional bonus to be more eco-friendly would be to re-use take-out containers with sealing lids to store your leftovers instead of buying new containers.
2) Make smoothies
If you’ve got fruits such as berries and bananas that are going bad or are mushy, make sure to freeze them in the fridge to use in smoothies.
Berries keep their taste and nutrients even when stored in the freezer. Bananas are essentially the same and can teachniquely replace ice if you are trying to make a thick, ice-cream like textured smoothie.
3) Don’t throw away stale bread
I’m almost certain most households have stale bread lying around in their pantry. If this is you, do not throw the bread away. Instead, for sturdier loaves such as baguettes, spritz them with water and pop them in the oven for 5 minutes to revive them!
For really stale bread you can:
Turn it into breadcrumbs (for pasta toppings or garnishing)
Cube & fry as croutons (perfect on a classic caesar salad or just as a crunchy snack to munch on)
French toast (If you are interested in a healthier, vegan recipe, click this link to read my blog post)
Lastly, to prevent bread from becoming stale in the first place, keep them in the freezer either in its original packaging, wrapped with a plastic wrap, or sealed in an airtight ziplock bag. This method works especially well for sourdough bread which you can toast well from frozen.
4) Store your leafy greens in water
If you are a sucker for carrot and celery sticks along with a side of hummus or ranch, I have the perfect hack for you to keep your vegetables fresh for longer.
Certain types of produce, such as broccoli and asparagus, have better longevity if their stems are kept in water (e.g. in a jar). However, make sure only the stems, not the tops of the vegetable are touching the water.
For vegetables like Bok Choy for example, you can simply rinse it with water, then place into a ziplock bag with a paper towel to keep it fresh for days.
5) Compost!
If you can’t avoid food waste, turn it into food for plants by composting it!
You can buy special kitchen bins to use the bokashi composting method so nothing is wasted: if you grow your own produce or plants—in a garden or balcony—the nutrients you can put into the soil via compost is great for the plants.
Thank you for reading this blog post and I hope you found it helpful!