It’s the dirty little secret in many kitchens—the uneaten half bag of baby spinach, the mushy avocado, the mystery jar full of something from years past.
Most of us don’t even realize how often it happens, but Americans waste over a third of our national food supply every year. The good news? We can do something about it.
Optimizing Food Storage
Organize like a chef—first in, first out. Rotate older food to the front of your fridge whenever you bring in new groceries. It can be a challenge to portion out exactly what you need, so designate a leftovers-only night to clean out the fridge and start fresh.
The crisper drawers at the bottom of your fridge? Yeah, those matter. Some have humidity controls and others don’t, but either way you should be separating your fruits and veggies (it’s all about ethylene production—just trust me). High humidity drawers are for leafy vegetables and low-humidity drawers are for those fruity ethylene producers like apples, pears, peaches, and melons. Washing and prepping your produce will make future you very happy.
Using Leftovers Creatively
Upgrade your leftovers and level up your cooking skills. Recipes are really just guidelines, anyway If you’re missing an ingredient, check the fridge first. Can you substitute parsley for basil or mozzarella for ricotta? Gain confidence in the kitchen and you’ll realize how adaptable cooking can be.
Soup and stir fries make great catchalls for wilted veggies and stale bread makes a delicious breakfast strata. Even “inedible” waste, like chicken bones, onion skins, and the trimmings of any vegetables used throughout the week, can make excellent stock. If you’re tired of everything in your fridge, try a leftover swap with friends or the neighbors!
Composting
Green thumbs can easily make use of backyard compost as nutrition for houseplants and vegetable gardens, but even the outdoor-averse or apartment dwellers can find composting containers to keep under the sink. And with community composting programs like Compost Collective KC on the rise, there might already be curbside pick-up options available in your neighborhood.