How to save money and help the planet by wasting less food
Americans waste roughly one-third of the food they bring home, costing the average family $1,500-$2,500 a year. The fastest ways to reduce food waste at home are: (1) shop your kitchen before the store, (2) reorganize your fridge so perishables are visible, (3) cook flexibly by ingredient rather than rigid recipe and (4) compost what you cannot eat.
Here’s a startling fact: Between 30% and 40% of the food produced and sold in the U.S. goes uneaten.
Imagine throwing out one in every three loaves of bread. One in three bananas. One in three Pop-Tarts.
That represents a lot of wasted money, energy and water. And because wasted food usually ends up in landfills where it decomposes without oxygen, it generates a lot of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas.
Whether you're buying more than you need or forgetting about what’s in the freezer, here's how to cut down on food waste.
1. Shop smarter
“Shop your kitchen first before you go to the grocery store or the farmer’s market,” says Mei Li, co-author of the charming new cookbook Perfectly Good Food: A totally achievable zero waste approach to home cooking.
In other words, check out what you’ve got in the fridge and your cupboards before buying something new. And, to avoid over-purchasing, put together a weekly dining plan and shopping list that helps use up what you’ve got on hand.
A note to impulse buyers: Sale items and bulk buys are only worth it if you’re sure you’ll use the extra food. A bargain is not a bargain if it ends up in the trash.
2. Store better
Li’s a big fan of good organization, starting with the shoe-box-sized “Eat Me First” box she keeps at eye level in the fridge to help her find the food that needs the most attention.
“These days, I always have half a lemon that needs using up. But before the ‘Eat Me First box,’ I had four half-lemons hiding in various locations and inevitably a few of them would go bad,” she says.
She also recommends creating zones in the freezer. “Knowing the leftovers are in one section, the meat is in another and the vegetables are in a third makes using things up easier,” Li adds.
It’s not just where you store your food that’s important. It’s also how. Keeping flour in the freezer extends its life. A slice of brown bread can re-soften hardened sugar. Shaking water from fresh produce slows degradation. The internet abounds with tips on storing, preserving, freezing and more.
3. Freestyle it
Don’t get hung up on recipes, says Li.
“People feel like they have to follow recipes to the letter. But think about food in categories — leafy greens, grains, different kinds of proteins," she explains. "You can switch one food in a category for another — collards for kale or cabbage. If the recipe calls for 2 cups of vegetables, but you’ve got more, you can use two and a half.”
If you’ve got ingredients you don’t know what to do with, punch their names into a search engine and see what recipes come up. At the week’s end, you can make stew or soup from whatever’s left in the refrigerator and freeze portions for next week’s lunches.
Have lots of leftovers? Plan a fridge forage night, when you eat whatever’s left over.
4. Think before you toss
Keep food waste out of landfills. Your municipality or a local community group might offer composting.
Try a home composting bin or wormery, and watch your scraps turn into rich, ready-to-use compost for gardens and pots in just weeks.
Coffee grounds, eggshells and citrus peels can go straight into your garden. There, they can serve as mulch, aerate soil and keep away slugs.
Check out the Almanac.com and other online resources for more composting know-how.
Start simple to start saving
Reducing food waste doesn’t require a homestead, a compost pile or a perfectly color-coded meal plan. It starts with small, practical shifts: checking your shelves before you shop, giving leftovers priority placement, cooking flexibly and rethinking what counts as “scraps.” Each choice keeps perfectly good food out of landfills and keeps money in your pocket.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can families build long-term habits to reduce food waste?
Families can reduce waste by planning flexible meals, storing food properly and setting aside one night a week to use leftovers. Over time, these routines help households become more aware of what they buy and use, making waste reduction a normal part of daily life.
How does reducing food waste help stretch a household grocery budget?
When households use the food they already have instead of replacing forgotten items or ordering takeout, they get the full value of their grocery spending. Two easy ways to put this into practice are to repurpose leftovers or freeze extra ingredients. Small changes can add up to significant savings over the course of a year.
How can communities play a role in reducing food waste?
Communities can help by supporting food banks, community fridges and composting programs that redistribute or recycle surplus food. These shared resources make it easier for individuals to keep edible food out of landfills while helping neighbors who need it.
Disclaimer: References to specific companies, organizations, products or services are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by EDF.
