We adore having fresh foods delivered, and some even cooking at home! Eating is the fun part, but who loves throwing away leftovers or that meal that you forgot in your fridge for a few days? Nobody. Sadly, the kitchen is a place that produces a lot of waste if you are not careful. Did you know that Americans toss out one-third of their food? You get the whole picture. To help you reduce your food waste, and therefore lower your carbon footprint, here are some good tips:
- Store food properly: basic! It is the only way to help your food remain fresh and last longer. But let’s be honest, sometimes it’s confusing to do it right. Here are a few tricks:
- Go for the transparent jar or container and use a label. That will help you stay organized and ultimately reduce food waste.
- Wrap your greens in cloth to preserve freshness: vegetables tend to get soggy if you don’t store them properly. Forget about aluminum foil or plastic wrap, a thin cloth tea towel will do way better.
- Say no to plastic! We all know how bad plastic is for the environment. Make the switch to beeswax wrap or reusable silicone bags.
2. Freeze what you won’t eat right away: have you ever bought a large quantity of something, forgot about it and threw it away after a few days? Or what about going on a sudden vacation, and come back home to some rotten meat or veggies? It’s alright. To avoid that from happening again, freeze your food and leftovers.
3. Create a meal plan: a great way to avoid food waste is buying only the ingredients needed for your meals that week. Make a list and take it with you to the grocery store! You’ll find yourself eating healthier and saving money.
4. Put new groceries in the back of the fridge: a good idea to keep in sight the older food that needs to get eaten first, reducing food waste.
5. Compost: composting is not for everybody, but you could give it a try! It is a great method to repurpose food waste and scraps. It’s easy to do, and really cheap. You could start with a small indoor composting bin., and see how it goes.
We hope that these tips were helpful to guide you into a more eco-friendly lifestyle. You will be saving money, but most importantly, the planet. If it’s too overwhelming, and you don’t have the patience or time to follow this lifestyle, you can leave it to us! Doing the groceries, cooking, and being mindful about waste, all at the same time, can be overwhelming. At My Kosher Chef, we’ll do the job for you!
