Every single day in the US there is approximately 1lb of food thrown out per person.* That ends up being between 30-40% of the food supply. You may wonder how you can reduce that number, and why it would matter at such a staggering rate anyway. If you consider the average amount of food wasted, it equals approximately $1,500 per household per year. This might make you reconsider your own food waste. So, let's talk about some ways you can do that.
Purchase locally. When you buy from farmers markets you benefit in different ways. For one, your food is fresher when you buy it directly from the source. Two, you reduce your carbon footprint when you are not buying food which has been carted all over the world. Three, you tend to save money by cutting out the middleman. Fourth and final, the food that you purchase tends to have less disposable packaging.
Plan your meals. When you plan the meals you want to cook in a week, you will waste significantly less food than you would otherwise. Prior to going grocery shopping, make a list of the foods you plan to cook over the next week and then go through your refrigerator and cupboards and figure out what foods you will need to buy in order to be able to prepare those meals. Also, plan to use the foods with the shortest shelf life first. This will reduce your overall waste.
When you go grocery shopping, bring your own bags and produce bags. If not, you can reuse your plastic bags by making plarn or opt for paper bags and recycle or reuse them.
Reduce the amount of food waste which ends up in your garbage by creating a compost pile. Compost is a great way to reduce your household's waste and it also makes an excellent fertilizer which can be used on house plants, yards, and gardens.
Opt for reusable products for your kitchen and food storage. Replace items such as single use plastic wrap and plastic sandwich bags with options which are reusable.**
**This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will make a small commission, but it will not affect the price you pay for the products.
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