9 Easy Ways To Avoid Wasting Food

With less than small percentile of the global population that gets food at least 3 times a day, we definitely waste a lot of food. Although my parents did their best instating a rule of “finish what’s on your plate,” we still manage to waste a lot of food. According to stats, 40% of food produced is off in trash. The worst thing about food is that it can’t be reused, in fact once it’s rotten, it just adds up to pollution.

1. Make a list When you’re going off to groceries, of if you’re sending your husbands/brothers/fathers, be sure to write exactly what you need, and preferably include how much of it you need. Like, 2 boxes of honey nut cheerios cereal, 2 kilos apples.

2. Pick up the flyers Before entering the supermarket, pick up the flyer and go through the deals that you may actually need. When you see those deals around, stock up but refrain from buying those “two-for-one” nothings, that you know you’re not going to finish before it expires.

3. Check expiration dates My dad always makes it a point to go through the dates. For instance, milk is produced daily (except for Fridays, I think), so do your best to scan ones that are made of the same day, especially if your family’s known not finish it within 2-3 days.

4. Consider portion sizes At the dinner table, start off with a small serving. You can always help yourself to a second one if you’re not satisfied; it’s better than taking more and not being able to finish it afterwards.

5. Bulk Meat Freeze If you buy meat in bulk for instance, divide it up into portions and freeze it accordingly. For example, if your household consists of 2 adults that are probably not going to finish a whole chicken within 2 days, consider dividing it into 3 parts and cooking it whenever you’re short instead of feeding it to the bin.

6. The sniff-taste test Yogurt and eggs are often edible past their dates, so do the test to see if it isn’t. Also, with milk, you can boil it to see if it’s good. If it blows up, it isn’t, but if it simmers to the top, it’s perfectly fine. I wouldn’t pass it on to little kids, though, but there’s no harm in eating it yourself if it looks okay (although, probably not a week’s old milk). Be sensible.

7. Freeze/Refrigerate Don’t forget food on the table if you know it’ll rot within 3 hours. Also, if there’s too much cooked food, consider if it can be frozen to be eaten in a few days.

8. Reuse

• If your bananas are blackening, blend into a milkshake!
• Chop tomatoes in for a pasta sauce
• Use stale/overtoasted bread for French toast, or crush into bread crumbs
• Cook leftover pasta into an omelet

9. Pass it on If you realize there’s too much food in the house, consider passing it on. If you don’t have a needy neighbor, pack it into disposable containers or sealable ziplocs and ask your brother/father/husband to take you around the streets and see if you can find someone needy on the roads. Not only will you earn good deeds by helping someone hungry fill their tummy, you’ll have given away your food. Do make sure the food’s good to eat, don’t feed someone something that you wouldn’t eat yourself!