Experts estimate that people around the world waste 1.3 billion tons of food every year. The costs to individuals, families and the environment are enormous. You can make a difference by committing to reducing food waste.
At Mark’s Daily Apple, we’re joining Primal Kitchen in the effort to #Makethe Most Meals on this National Food Waste Day. Scroll down to find tips and techniques to be more sustainable and reduce your environmental footprint by reducing food waste, optimizing your grocery budget and contributing less to the landfill.
For more information, visit PrimalKitchen.com and sign up to receive an exclusive e-book against food waste with delicious recipes, packaging tips and more!
Store and preserve food properly so it doesn’t go to waste
Food spoiling before you have a chance to eat it is a huge cause of food waste. In addition to shopping smart (more info below), you can get around this problem in the first place by storing your food properly after you bring it home from the store.
For those times when you buy too much or you’re lucky to have a good harvest in the garden, learn how to preserve that food and enjoy it for months to come.
Avoid damage:
Frozen:
Dehydration:
Pickles and Fermentation:
What to do with leftovers: Trash turns into treasure
Those leftovers are not garbage! There’s still a lot you can do with them.
Turn them into compost: How to start brewing
Make bone broth:
Creative: Many uses of junk food
Eat from nose to tail
We know it can be a bit daunting at first, but organ meat is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet! Eating the skin and tender cuts of meat will give you a burst of collagen to balance the methionine in muscle meat. The bones of small, oily fish contain calcium and other minerals. And best of all, almost nothing is wasted.
This is huge at a time when we are fighting against the tide of meat eating and the idea that eating meat is bad for the environment. The best thing we meat consumers can do is support and practice omnivorous or responsible meat eating.
Start with head to tail eating:
Learn more about responsible farming and animal husbandry:
Seasonal eating and eating habits
One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy locally grown food when you can rather than shipping food across the country or around the world.
Shopping at the farmers market not only supports local farmers and ranchers, but you also cut down on food packaging. Prioritizing locally grown produce also means you’ll naturally eat foods that are in season in your area.
More about seasonal dining:
Buy smart packages and meals
Planning food intake for several days or a week can save money and cut down on food waste. A little work up front ensures you only buy what you need.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Other grocery shopping tips:
Reduce reuse rubbish
Don’t just throw empty mayo jars. Boarding!
Take advantage of yours local recycling program. See all food packages for what can be recycled or composted.
Small steps add sustainability
Learn how to reduce food waste, cut your carbon footprint and put less in the landfill. Small steps really add up, especially when we’re all doing our part.
Check out this post for lots of easy-to-implement ideas: Updating a sustainable, eco-friendly kitchen
Reducing food waste is something you can do at home that really makes a difference. Talk to your friends and family and start implementing some of these methods. What do YOU do to reduce food waste?
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