Week One Challenge
The first challenge is to reduce food waste. Food waste is considered the discarding of potentially usable food. What does food waste look like in your kitchen? How much of what you purchase or prepare goes in the trash? When I answered this question, I didn’t like the answer. It was a hard truth, and I will share the changes that were successful for my household.
Here are a few options to reduce your food waste contribution.
Start with a plan
I know families that have perfected their food waste to almost nothing. It truly is impressive at their ability to use every scrap of food in their home. I also know families that throw out surprising amounts of food. The families are similar dual income parents of kids and pets but the difference is planning.
My household is somewhere in between these families. We started meal planning to create a shopping list. The list became a way of life. After initiating the “List” rule to only purchase items on the list. It made getting in and out of the store a breeze. Having a shopping list of required items saved time and created less excess at the end of the week.
Even the kids got on board and when they ask the dreaded question “can I have this” you know the junk sold at the checkout stand. My reply was “is it on the list?”. After doing this for six months, everyone is on board, even my husband. The list has expanded to household and recreational items accompanied by a discussion about why we need the item. Now, my daughter writes things on the list, proudly displayed on the fridge when she needs something. Win-win!
Tip: Keep a running list of pantry staples and wait until they are on sale to purchase them.
Start your weekly routine with a meal plan and a shopping list.
Shop weekly
We started shopping once a week, instead of the monthly bulk run. Changing the way we looked at food and our method of shopping was a process. I started paying attention to the cost of purchasing large portions verse smaller from a grocery store, and it was surprising.
An incredible side effect of weekly shopping is we saved money on our monthly shopping budget. Our food waste contribution almost diminished. Who doesn’t want to save time and money?
Shopping weekly made our routine simple, and we get more fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet. We started eating better, and the kids were able to contribute to the weekly shopping and food prep.
Online grocery shopping is easier than ever. All you have to do is select your favorite grocery store, create an account then add items to your cart. You can pick up at designated locations or have it delivered to your front door.
Storing Food
Food storage affects the life span of food. The best results for my family was to process fresh produce as soon as we get home. We wash and prep each item for easy consumption during the week. Chopping carrots, radishes, and peppers for dipping or salads. Wash and chop greens and place in a sealed container. Treat herbs like flowers, wash and keep in a jar of water, cut as needed. Wrap celery in foil.
Storing fresh produce can be tricky and varies based on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen. Find the best way to store your favorite items to keep them fresh.
Leftover Makeover
Give your leftovers a makeover. Reuse that chicken to top a salad for lunches during the week. Make leftover french bread into croutons. Turn spiced meats into wraps or burritos. Salads can be cooked into a quiche. Reusing leftovers takes some effort but is worth it in the long run. Be creative and have some fun.
When you can’t consume leftovers freeze in single portions to be enjoyed later. My favorite is to reuse all the little bits in a soup, burritos, or casserole dish. This may be too creative for some, but it is always a surprise. Just ask my husband.
If you are not a leftover fan make an effort to make smaller portions. At our house leftovers are what we eat for lunches during the week. We often double the recipe and freeze the second dish for one of those crazy days when we don’t have time or feel like making a full, healthy dinner.
Eat seasonally
The first and my favorite option is to grow it yourself. Gardening, not your thing? Don’t worry farmers are willing to do it for you. Shop at your local farmers market! Many of our local grocery markets started selling local farmers produce. Check with your local grocer.
Another fun option is to join a co-op or food share. You receive a weekly or monthly box of locally grown food. The best part is that you get to explore different fruits and vegetables throughout the year that you may have never been exposed to. Seasonal produce in your area will vary by growing conditions and weather.
Purchasing food seasonally means getting the best flavor and nutrient density. Fruits and veggies cost less when they are in season. It also supports the local economy and encourages you to eat healthily.
Food labels
When your food choices are limited to packaged items knowing how to read food labels is essential. Many food labels indicate when a product has reached its peak quality or flavor not necessarily when it’s gone bad.
Best by, use by or best if used by dates indicate the last date when an item will be at peak quality or flavor. These products may still be safe to eat after this date if no spoilage signs are present.
Sell by or pull by dates are when the product can no longer be sold or displayed on shelves by a retailer. Products may still be safe to consume after this date.
Packed on or closed on is when an item was packaged, sealed or canned. These dates are used by retailers to track stock or to pull recalled items.
Expiration date signifies when the food most likely will spoil. The manufacturer uses either “expires by” or”best if used by” to as a precaution that the product may not be at its peak by that date.
Always check for signs of spoilage to determine if you should consume something. Signs pointing to spoilage include being smelly, discoloration, mold, mushy, slimy, or sticky indicating products should not be used or consumed. If in doubt choose another route.
Preserve Food
Many items can be preserved by freezing or dehydrating for later use. At the end of the week, the bananas are turning black or the berries were on their last leg, freeze them to be used in a smoothie or baked in muffins.
Freezing does change the texture of some foods. Cheese gets crumbly, ginger loses its potency, and carrots lose the crunch. Many dishes increase in flavor. I am experimental with my freezer meals and ingredients, I encourage you to be courageous.
At the end of the week when you clean out the fridge and start the process over, be mindful and notice what you are tossing. Adjust the meal plan accordingly.
Recycle or up cycle
There are three options for recycling food waste. Items not consumed are fed to the chickens, worms, or composted. The chickens and worms love all the kitchen clippings from meal prep except animal fats.
We use two options for composting. Pile composting and vermicomposting with red worms or red wiggler (Eisenia foetida) or manure worm (rubellus). Please don’t go digging up night crawlers they cannot live on only vegetables.
The worms consume the organic material, digest it, and expels worm castings rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and many micro-nutrients. Add the leftovers to your garden or make compost tea to feed your plants.
If your compost bin is smelly adjust the feeding intervals. Anything the chicken ladies or worms do not dispose of goes in the compost pile. Pile composting is a little more complicated than the worms but creates amazing garden soil.
Mindful Consumer
The landfills didn’t fill up in a day, it takes time to change anything. This is not a plea for perfection or a guilt trip. Just a challenge to tweak one thing a week to make a change in the world. Reducing food waste by only 15% would be enough to feed more than 25 million Americans every year. One step at a time.
If you are a parent, it is challenging to reduce food waste. Children’s diets change rapidly. One week kids eat the entire house then the next they won’t touch a thing. One day all they want is oranges then the next day they are the worst thing on the planet. Be realistic in setting your goals.
The trick for us was to make a list and stick to it. Remember that even the best-laid plans don’t always work, be flexible and just do your best. Choose one of the options above and tweak it for a week. Do what works for you and your family and be kind to yourself.
~Janine
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