Buying prepackaged food items is a great convenience but does create a lot of waste. Whenever possible, it’s best to buy whole foods that are not packaged or are minimally packaged. Of course, growing your own foods is even better, but as I personally live in Minnesota, I understand that this is not always practical!
Here are some general tips for reducing waste.
- Go for fresh fruits or vegetables over canned or frozen ones when possible.
- Bring reusable bags to put fresh fruits and vegetables in rather than using the plastic bags supplied in the produce aisle.
- Shop in the bulk section (again bringing reusable containers) rather than buying boxed items from the shelf.
- Try making your own stock and sauces from fresh items rather than buying the pre-made versions.
But the food itself is also an unfortunate source of waste. Too much of the food we buy is simply thrown into the trash. With 6 billion people on the planet, and many of them going hungry, wasting food is not a luxury we can afford.
Here are some tips for minimizing food waste:
- Buy smaller. Yes, it sometimes costs more to buy the smaller package than to buy in bulk, but if you can’t use it all by the expiration date, don’t buy it.
- Plan your meals. If you have a weekly meal plan, you can purchase just what you need and spread items that might otherwise be wasted over a couple of meals.
- Compost. Being able to throw those strawberry tops and peelings into a compost pile rather than the garbage is a big waste reducer! You’ll be surprised how much less you throw away when food items are removed from your garbage can.