Food wastage

Do you know, it takes many months and years of hard work to grow vegetables and crops? With population increase world wide, there is shortage as well as growing demand for food. Instead of wasting food and money, try and inculcating habit to stop food wastage. Here are twenty one ways to stop food wastage and save money.

1. Preplan and have a shopping list before going to grocery store
2. While writing list think about meals you plan to prepare for week
3. When at store buy only what you need and stick to shopping list
4. When eating out ask for smaller portions so that you will not leave food behind and overeating
5. Use serving size measurements while cooking
6. Keep your fridge temperature at 40F or below. Freezer temperature should be 0F
7. Refrigerate peeled and cut veggies to keep freshness
8. Use freezer to store food to avoid going bad until you are ready eat the them
9. Store food in refrigerator in designated places
10. If you store left over food in fridge, mark containers and place a sign on refrigerator door for foods that need to be eaten first or soon. Keep those food that likely to spoil soon in front of the shelf
11. If you prepared extra food for the party, pack extra food in recycle containers for guests to take home
12. Whether in restaurants or party occasions, avoid filling your plate with extra food that you don’t need. Practice habit of giving away left over foods to orphanages or homeless shelters
13. Read food label and understand expiry date. Learn about best-if used by, use- by and sell- by codes.
14. If your family is small you may want to buy small containers of milk or yogurt enough for a week. Sometimes milk can go bad soon and get wasted.
15. Buy produce of the season. This reduces your bill and food wastage.
16. If you are left with many veggies, pickle them. Transfer veggies to saltwater and store. When you need, you can remove veggies and use for cooking.
17. Certain fruits can be dried and stored – if you have lot of apples, banana, plum – slice and sun dry them, store in airtight containers. Dry fruits are good and healthy snacks.
18. Heavy calorie foods can fill your stomach fast and makes other foods go waste. Soda, bakery items, chips and fried foods are high calorie foods. Avoid high calorie foods. Instead go for healthier foods that save money and help you to lose weight.
19. Holiday and festival seasons – plan on preparing foods that you are familiar. Do not feel pressurized to cook something you don’t know and let food does not go waste. 
20. Potlucks are better way to reduce food wastage. Guests will carry back left over foods or will share with everyone who attends party.
21. Plan on having a “eat leftovers” day each week that reduces your cooking work and uses up all left-over food!

Image credit: Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash