There are a numerous easy ways to save food. Although not all will follow the ways to save food, you may help reduce food waste by following these easy ways. Every little bit helps.
How?
1. Shop Smart
- Easily say most people tend to buy what they need.
- Though buying in bulk may be convenient, research has shown that this shopping method leads to more food waste.
- To avoid buying more food than you need, make frequent trips to the grocery store every few days rather than doing a bulk shopping trip once a week.
- Make a point to use up all the food you purchased during the last trip to the market before buying more groceries.
- Additionally, try making a list of items that you need to buy and stick to that list. This will help you reduce impulse buying and reduce food waste as well.
2. Store food correctly
- Improper storage leads to a massive amount of food waste.
- Many people are unsure how to store fruits and vegetables, which can lead to premature ripening and, eventually, rotten produce.
- For instance, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers and onions should never be refrigerated. These items should be kept at room temperature.
- Separating foods that produce more ethylene gas from those that don’t is another great way to reduce food spoilage. Ethylene promotes ripening in foods and could lead to spoilage
- Foods that produce ethylene gas while ripening includes Bananas, Avocados, Tomatoes, Cantaloupes, Peaches, Pears and Green Onions. Keep these foods away from ethylene-sensitive produce like potatoes, apples, leafy greens, berries and peppers to avoid premature spoilage.
3. Learn to Preserve
- Pickling, a type of preservation method using brine or vinegar, may have been used as far back as 2400 BC.
- Pickling, drying, canning, fermenting, freezing and curing are all methods you can use to make food last longer, thus reducing waste.
- Not only will these methods shrink your carbon footprint, they will save you money as well. What’s more, most preservation techniques are simple and can be fun.
- For example, canning an excess of ripe apples and turning them into applesauce, or pickling fresh carrots from the market will provide you with a delicious and long-lasting treat that even kids will enjoy.
4. Don't be a perfectionist
- Though identical in taste and nutrition, so-called “ugly” fruits and vegetables get passed up for produce that is more pleasing to the eye.
- The consumer demand for flawless fruits and vegetables has led major grocery chains to buy only picture-perfect produce from farmers. This leads to tons of perfectly good food going to waste
- It’s such a big issue that major grocery chains like Walmart and Whole Foods have started offering “ugly” fruits and vegetables at a discount in an attempt to reduce waste
- Do your part by choosing slightly imperfect produce at the grocery store, or better yet, directly from the farmer.
5. Eat the skin
- People often remove the skins of fruits, veggies and chicken when preparing meals
- This is a shame, because so many nutrients are located in the outer layer of produce and in poultry skin. For example, apple skins contain a large amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
- In fact, researchers have identified a group of compounds present in apple peels called triterpenoids. They act as potent antioxidants in the body and may have cancer-fighting abilities
- Chicken skin is packed with nutrients as well, including vitamin A, B vitamins, protein and healthy fats.
- What’s more, chicken skin is an amazing source of the antioxidant selenium, which helps combat inflammation in the body.
- These benefits are not limited to chicken and apple skin. The outer layers of potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, mangoes, kiwis and eggplants are also edible and nutritious.
- Not only is eating the skin delicious, it’s economical and reduces your food waste impact.
6. Understand expiration dates
- In fact, the task is often left to food producers to determine the date they think a product is most likely to spoil by. The truth is, most food that has just passed its expiration date is still safe to eat.
- “Sell by” is used to inform retailers when the product should be sold or removed from the shelves. “Best by” is a suggested date that consumers should use their products by.
- Neither of these terms means that the product is unsafe to eat after the given date.
- While many of these labels are ambiguous, “use by” is the best one to follow. This term means that the food may not be at its best quality past the listed date.
- A movement is now underway to make the food expiration labeling system more clear for consumers. In the meantime, use your best judgment when deciding whether food that is slightly past its expiration date is safe to eat.
7. Pack your lunch
- Although going out to lunch with coworkers or grabbing a meal from your favorite restaurant may be enjoyable, it is also costly and can contribute to food waste.
- A helpful way to save money while reducing your carbon footprint is to bring your lunch to work with you.
- If you tend to generate leftovers from home-cooked meals, pack them up for a satisfying and healthy lunch for your workday.
- If you’re strapped for time in the morning, try freezing your leftovers in portion-sized containers. That way, you’ll have premade, hearty lunches ready to go each morning.
8. Keep your serving size in check
- Overeating is a problem for many people.
- Making sure your portion sizes stay within a healthy range doesn’t just help keep your weight down, it also reduces food waste.
- While you may not think twice about scraping the leftover food on your plate into the trash, remember that food waste has a major impact on the environment.
- Being more mindful of how hungry you actually are and practicing portion control are great ways to reduce food waste.
9. Save leftovers
- Leftovers aren’t just for holidays.
- Although many people save excess food from large meals, it is often forgotten in the fridge, then tossed when it goes bad
- Storing leftovers in a clear glass container, rather than in an opaque container, helps ensure you don’t forget the food.
- If you happen to cook a lot and you regularly have leftovers, designate a day to use up any that have accumulated in the fridge. It’s a great way to avoid throwing away food
- What’s more, it saves you time and money.
⇒ For more information, please visit this corresponding website
↳ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reduce-food-waste#section6
Besides getting into ways of reducing food waste, there are also methods of reducing food waste during the festive season, Chinese New Year.
↳ Ways of reducing food waste during CNY
ok
ReplyDeleteFantastic
ReplyDelete