Reduce Food Waste: Habits of Savvy Shoppers
Is it possible to spend less on food, slash trash production + reduce food waste, all at once?
The answer is yes, and that’s because all three ambitious goals all start at the supermarket.
As a minimalist, I believe in buying less. But when it comes to feeding my family, I’m torn.
On one hand, I believe wholeheartedly in purchasing quality food. I’d prefer to spend more on things that go in our bodies as opposed to the decorations that go on it; Americans think nothing of dropping $400 on a designer bag but we scrimp and whine and complain over a $200 grocery bill.
If there’s a place to ditch minimalist principles, it’s at the supermarket, right?
I used to believe that families should purchase the healthiest (which is sometimes the most expensive) food they can afford.
But on the other hand, dinnertime at my house looks nothing like a scene from a 1960’s sitcom (Think: Perfectly behaved children. Combed hair, freckles. Overflowing platters atop freshly pressed linen. Smiles on everyone’s faces.)
That’s right: dinner in my household generally follows some amalgamation of these scenarios:
– My preschooler informs me that she hates whatever it is I’ve prepared and stubbornly eats just half of what I put on her plate
– My toddler eats exactly one bite of the organic carrots I diligently cleaned, boiled and pureed before deciding she just isn’t a fan of root vegetables.
So, while I’m foolishly idealistic regarding the necessity of consuming fresh, local, organic food, I’m hit with a dissenting reality compounded by facts:
In a given year, the average American family wastes nearly a dumpster’s-worth of food. When given a monetary value, the contents of that dumpster amounts to nearly $2200.
These days, I believe that spending more at the supermarket – on non-GMO, on free range, or simply on extra stuff to fill our reusable bags – is foolish.
The answer isn’t in spending more at the grocery store, it’s in spending smarter.
Implementing these 8 changes at the supermarket and at home will greatly reduce wasted food, wasted plastic, + wasted money for my family and for yours, too.
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Reduce food waste at the supermarket:
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Buy loose + buy bulk
Did you know? The shelf life of ground spices is six months. That’s why I opt to buy loose and only what I need, then I grind at home.
Buying in bulk saves serious plastic. Bring containers from home (just make sure to pre-weigh them with the cashier ahead of time so you don’t pay extra for the weight of your container!) and reuse them again + again + again. By buying in bulk you are essentially negating the need for excess packaging (and it is excessive!).
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Buy local
Local produce spends less time traveling on a truck and more time in your kitchen. My family is lucky enough to have an organic farm within miles, and we’ve invested in the farm’s future by signing up for their Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Many times the farmers have picked our produce hours before we pick it up, which means it lasts longer in our crisper than anything coming from California or South America.
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Think like a chef
I’m not a talented in the kitchen by nature, but I’ve gotten creative as of late. I’ve upcycled scraps of fish and made seafood stew. I’ve reserved carrot fronds, potato peels, onion skins, and other scraps for a slow-simmered vegetable broth. In this way I transform even the most “lowly” ingredients into something useable. What can you upcycle into a meal?
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Buy less
The coupons. The samples skewered by toothpicks. The buy two get two deals. Remember that the supermarket is really just like any store: it entices you to spend more money than you ordinarily would by design.
Although it takes time on the front end, arm yourself with a detailed shopping list beforehand + substantially cut down the time you spend in the grocery store.
I challenge myself to purchase only what’s on the list, and I’ve made it into a game for my three-year old. She holds the list, and together we search for the items. But only the items On. The. List.
Reduce food waste at home:
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First in, first out
It pays – literally! – to rotate food. If you’ve ever lost produce to the deepest corners of the fridge, ensure this happens no more by placing older items in front of newer ones.
Or, create an Eat-Me Box to ensure the the items nearing expiration are consumed before they go bad.
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Utilize airtight containers
My daughter loves peanut butter puff cereal, until she suddenly hates it. So instead of waiting for it to go stale (which it will, and quickly, in that cardboard box) I use containers with an air-tight seal to ensure sustained freshness.
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Freeze half
Whenever I make a meal for my family, I split it in two: One portion goes onto the dinner table, the other goes into the deep freezer. Freezing half ensures I have a meal ready to be thawed for a weeknight in the future.
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Compost, compost, compost
Food in the trashcan doesn’t decompose properly in a landfill, where it’s devoid of light and air. Instead, such scraps produce methane – a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
I keep an oversized compost bin away from my house in the overgrown area of my yard. I turn it every once in awhile and once a year I use the byproduct as nutrient-rich soil for my perennials.
Want more info on composting? Learn how to make great compost (with very little effort!)
