In Blog, Fresh Ideas, Sustainability

Tackling Food Waste at Home

We can all make a difference by eliminating food waste in our homes. In doing so, we can be one step closer to living in a more sustainable world. The inefficiencies of today’s food systems may be out of the average consumer’s reach,  but we all have the power to make tremendous changes simply by starting in our own households. Did you know, about one third of the world’s total food production ends up uneaten? About 25% of the food we buy to bring home ends up wasted. A lot of this waste can be easily avoided. Consider the following tips and tricks to cut back the food waste that we create in our homes:

GROCERY SHOPPING

  • Shop your fridge before buying more food
  • Come up with recipe ideas based off of what you already have stocked in your pantry/fridge
  • Stick to your shopping list to save money that you didn’t plan on spending

 

TECH TOOLS

  • Go online for tips and recipes that help fight food waste (click on images below)
  • Create a “Leftover log” on paper and laminate (or use dry erase board), hang it on the fridge, and track your leftovers

 

PROPER STORAGE

  • Create a priority bin for foods that are about to go bad to use in cooking! Place the bin towards the front of a shelf so it’s in your vision
  • Keep leftovers in airtight/glass containers
  • Check out the latest public ad campaign on food waste (savethefood.com) for tips to keep food freshest and get the bang for your buck

 

INNOVATIVE IDEAS 

  • Do it yourself (DIY) fridge deoderizer: mix 2/3 cup baking soda and 20-30 drops of essential oil (citrus works well). Place it in an open-top mason jar (may place filter paper on top and then screw close to prevent it from spilling). Place inside fridge for 2-3 months, then replace
  • Purchase clear or colorful plastic place mats to set on shelves of fridge for easy cleaning of spills and food residue

 

Manage your household’s food consumption by becoming more disciplined and organized, and you’ll establish it as a simple habit. You’ll also save a lot of money! Click on the images below to check out two wonderful websites with helpful tools and quizzes to get an idea of how much food you could be wasting and how much you can save with a few small changes:

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Follow us on social media and keep checking back in with our blog to keep up with what Southern Specialties is doing to address the food waste issue!