No one likes to waste anything, particularly when it comes to food. Even then, astoundingly, every year, 1.3 billion tonnes of edible food is wasted as per research. Minimizing this unnecessary waste should be everyone’s priority and your journey to reducing food wastage can start at home–in your kitchen. A lot of it entails engaging in smart sourcing of ingredients and of course, smart cooking. In this handy guide, we will outline some useful tips on how to lower kitchen waste at home. Let’s jump right in.
Tip #1: Create a Dedicated Space for Things That Are about to Go Bad
This one’s a life saviour. If you’re someone who wants to use everything before it goes bad, this trick can help. Create a dedicated space–it could be a cabinet–in your kitchen to store items that may be nearing expiry. It could be fruits, vegetables, or any other item. You can use these by using them in a smoothie or juice instead of throwing it away in the trash later. To keep a track of the food items, make sure to clean your kitchen cabinets (and fridge) every now and then.
Tip #2: Reuse Takeout Containers, ALWAYS!
Everyone orders takeout once in a while. If you’re throwing these containers away, you’re contributing to polluting the environment. Instead, use these containers to engage in meal prepping throughout the week. Reusing the containers is always a good idea!
Handy tip: You can keep a few reusable jute grocery bags in the car and use them when buying your fruits and vegetables instead of using new plastic packets every single time.
Tip #3: Create Your Own Little Herb Garden
Instead of buying herbs at the store and adding more plastic to the environment, it makes sense to grow your own little herb garden. You’ll be surprised to know how little effort it takes. On the plus side, you get access to fresh herbs literally at the tip of your fingers.
Tip #4: Don’t Throw Away the Vegetable Trimmings
One of the biggest mistakes people make is throwing away vegetable shavings. You can store these in a container and use them in homemade stock. From corn bobs and broccoli stems to onion peels and carrot shavings, you can reuse just about anything to create a tasty and nutritious homemade stock. You can also store the chicken carcass in the fridge to create your own chicken stone at home. You’re welcome.
Tip #5: Put Super Ripe Stuff in the Freezer
We’ve all had our fair share of trouble with super ripe avocados. Instead of tossing them in the bin, store them in a ziplock in your freezer. You can add it to your smoothie bowl and enjoy the avocado just the same!
Tip #6: Reuse Certain Food Items for Gardening
If you happen to have a small indoor garden in your home, here’s a super useful hack: Use eggshells and coffee grinds in your garden bed. These help add essential nutrients to the soil such as calcium and nitrogen.
Tip #7: Get Creative with Your Cooking Recipes
If you notice a lot of unrelated items and leftovers in your fridge, think of inventive and creative recipes where you can mix and match and use these items together. For example, you can always create a yummy snack board or whip up a refreshing salad.
Tip #8: Label Your Leftovers
Another hack that works wonders is labelling your leftovers. Oftentimes, it can get easy to forget when a particular batch of food was made. You can label the food and write the date on the leftover to make it easier for you to remember.
Tip #9: Prep for Your Meals in Advance
A rather obvious suggestion but planning a meal week after week is not an easy task. It requires real dedication, consistency, and hard work. Once you’ve planned your weekly meal, you can get the necessary ingredients and ensure there’s no food wastage.
Tip #10: Store Herbs in the Fridge
Preserving herbs in the fridge is a smart idea. Simply freeze them in oil and use them as needed. Similarly, you can store other seasonal fruits in the deep freezer and use them in months when you won’t find them available readily.
Reducing kitchen waste and adopting the ‘zero-waste’ lifestyle does not need to be an overwhelming task. With the right tricks up your sleeve, you can kick start your own recycling journey.
If your kitchen needs a functional makeover, HomeLane’s team of experts can guide you through the process–from designing and conceptualizing to effective execution and maintenance, we’re here to help.
