How do I Reduce Food Waste?
Did you know that 58% of food produced in Canada (amounting to 35 million metric tonnes) is wasted every year? This costs the economy almost $50 billion annually. To help you and your family stretch our groceries and wallets, we have put together some quick tips that will help your food last longer, save money and reduce food waste!
Let’s change the way we value food.
- Moisture speeds up the decaying process. Take produce out of plastic bags and dry or wrap in a tea towel if they are wet. Place in a breathable produce container or your crisper and do not wash until you are ready to eat it.
- Do not rip fruit off stems until you are ready to eat it, this also speeds up decomposition.
- Avoid precut, prewashed salad kits unless you are going to eat them right away as they will spoil faster than regular produce.
- Go through your fridge, freezer and pantry every week before you plan your shopping trip and make a list of items that need to get eaten first. Plan a meal using those items.
- If items are going to spoil before you can eat them, place them in the freezer for later use.
- Take a regular inventory of what’s in your fridge. Bring items to the front, don’t let them hide and spoil.
- Eat the most perishable items first (for example raspberries only last a few days while potatoes can last a month if stored in a dry, cool and dark space).
- Love your leftovers! Instead of ditching your leftovers, give them a makeover. Get creative. Try looking up recipes that will use up these items. https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/get-recipes/
- Make a weekly meal plan. Consider how you can make multiple meals out of one item.
- If you have an abundance of vegetables and are worried they will spoil before you can eat them all, try making soup or blanching them before freezing. This technique preserves your produce and keeps it from going mushy upon thawing.
- When trimming the ends off onions, celery and carrots, pack them away in the freezer. Do the same with bones until you have enough of each to make broth.
- Did you know you can regrow your lettuce from the end cut that you would normally dispose of by placing it in a bowl of water? Better yet, grow your own garden from seed.
- Take the Food Waste Pledge (https://wrwcanada.com/en/food-waste-pledge)
Make Memories not Waste
This holiday season, create memories, not waste! Instead of buying more stuff, give a shared experience or gifts that are made to last.
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