Waste Reduction Week: food waste

Are we still wasting food?! Fortunately, we are still in #FoodWasteFreeOctober, so there are many resources out there to help you stop this horrible habit that we continue to tolerate while children and so many others in the world have no food – even in our hometowns. Have you ever participated in a food waste challenge? Are you aware of our global food waste problems?

I will refer you to my recent post about food waste and Food Waste Free October here. And I will refer you to some horrendous facts about food waste here, including that every day in Canada we waste over 400 000 heads of lettuce. I can’t even with this.

My two top zero/low waste chefs out there are the Zero Waste Chef, and Max La Manna. They are all I need in my kitchen, and help me keep my food waste to an absolute minimum. I don’t own cookbooks, but if I did, these two would be it. And guess what – THEY BOTH HAVE ONE!

What is the one food you waste the most? What else could you do with that food to use it up? Do you have access to a freezer or storage space for freezing, canning, and preserving food? Do you share your food with others?

Some quick tips on minimizing your food waste:

1. Buy only what you need
   
2. Meal plan
   
3. Store food properly to make it last
   
4. Try not to get too caught up in recipes or best before dates
   
5. Educate yourself on local efforts to reduce food waste
   
6. Give food away to friends, family, and neighbours, including your garden harvest!
   
7. Challenge yourself in canning and preserving
   
8. Follow resourceful social media accounts (like my all-star chefs above)
   
9. Keep a separate bin/drawer in fridge for near-spoiling food
   
10. Get creative with leftovers, and meals

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