1. Avoid buying too much
One of the simplest ways to avoid food waste as a consumer is to buy less.
A packed fridge may look appealing, but it may lead to food waste if the household cannot eat all of the food.
Taking a couple of shorter trips to the grocery store each week rather than one longer trip may prevent people from buying too much food and help cut back on waste.
2. Think twice before throwing food away
While mold is a definite sign that something belongs in the garbage, it is not necessary to throw out foods that are slightly past their prime.
For instance, many greens and vegetables may slightly soften or wilt when they are just past ripe. They still may make excellent additions to soups, smoothies, or baked dishes.
People can use leftover vegetable scraps to make a soup stock. Even stale bread makes toast or breadcrumbs.
“Best before” dates can be misleading — if produce still appears fresh and usable, it is usually fine to eat it.
3. Always make a shopping list
Buying foods that are already in the home can ultimately become another source of waste.
Taking an inventory of the food in the house and making a grocery list before going to the store might help people avoid purchasing unnecessary foods and cut back on potential waste.
4. Organizing the kitchen with FIFO
Organizing the fridge and pantry can help people keep track of what they have at home and help them to identify foods that are ready to eat.
“FIFO” stands for “first in, first out” and is a useful way to organize food at home. Many restaurants and grocery stores use this system to reduce waste, too.
Placing newly bought foods at the back of the cupboard or fridge will encourage people to use the food in the front row first, which will ensure freshness and reduce waste.
For example, if a person keeps lots of tins at home, ensure that the ones closest to their expiry date are at the front of the cupboard and use those first.
5. Store food correctly
Perishable items, such as fruits and vegetables, each have their best way to store to avoid spoilage.
Some tips include:
- keeping the refrigerator below 5°C (41°F)
- storing cooked foods on shelves above raw foods
- storing food in sealed containers
Always transfer leftovers from open cans into a suitable container. Do not store it in the can.
6. Make a weekly menu
Making a meal menu for the week may help some people organize their food usage and cut back on waste.
Using online tools or cookbooks to help plan out meals for the week can a person to compile an accurate shopping list.
It may take a few weeks for each household to get the menu right, but having a set weekly menu might help some people reduce the guesswork around meals and avoid wasting food.
7. Keep a log of spoiled foods
Writing down the types of foods that go bad can help a person identify the foods that they can cut back on.
For example, if someone finds themselves throwing out many oranges as they go bad, the solution might be to buy fewer oranges to avoid this spoilage.
Although buying larger bags of produce rather than one or two pieces may seem cheaper, a person will not save money if they routinely throw away part of the contents.