Food Waste Prevention

Tips for Zero Waste Meal Planning 

  • 1. Take Inventory

    Before you go to the grocery store, take stock of what you have in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Note which items may be reaching their expiration date or if any fresh foods are starting to perish. Also note items that you have in excess.

  • 2. Make a List and Plan ahead

    Take time to plan your meals for the upcoming week. Make sure to utilize foods that you already have on hand. Are you planning on cooking something with a specialized ingredient? Think about ways you can incorporate it into your meal plan for the week, especially if it’s perishable. Need to buy fruits or veggies or fresh herbs that come in bulk? Look up recipes ahead of time to discover ways to utilize excess and shop accordingly. Bring reusable grocery bags and produce bags to the store with you.

  • 3. Shop mindfully

    Stick to your list! Buying items impulsively can sometimes mean that you are buying things you don’t need or will not use. Avoid items with unnecessary packaging like individually wrapped snacks and candies, and pre-cut fruits and veggies. Buy in bulk and buy local when possible. Look for produce that is in season.

  • 4. Cook Staple Foods in Batches

    Prepare staple ingredients such as grains and beans in larger amounts to use throughout the week. Make things like sauces, dips, and toppings that you can incorporate in multiple meals throughout the week. Save leftovers and reheat!

  • 5. Get Creative!

    Use leftover vegetables in soups, stews,  stir-fries, or omelets. Turn leftover grains into salads, grain bowls, or frittatas. Experiment and have fun with it! Try new flavor combinations and be open to trying new cooking techniques.

  • 6. Compost Unusable Scraps

    Composting is a great way to divert waste from landfills. The process of composting creates a nutrient rich soil amendment that can be re-incorporated in our food system. This turns what would otherwise be wasted into a valuable asset to plant growth. Composting also helps lessen our impact on the environment because diverting food waste from landfills helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rescue the Food in your Kitchen

  • "Eat First" Refrigerator Bin

    Put all the things that perish quickly in the same place, ideally at eye level. A mini bin right next to the main spot is a good place for smaller items like knobs of ginger, cloves of garlic, and wedges of citrus so they don’t get lost.

  • Smoothie Freezer Bag

    Set up a bag in the freezer for fruits that are getting old. Think browning bananas, overly soft peaches, and wrinkly berries. Peel the banana and cut fruits before freezing so they are ready to throw in the blender.

  • Vegetable Scrap Broth

    Save the skins, leaves, ends, peels, stems, cobs, and cores of your vegetables to boil and make a stock. If you find that most of your scraps are just skins, add a carrot and a chopped onion to balance out the flavor. You can also add whole veggies from your refrigerator that are getting old.

  • Weekly Roast

    At the end of the week, gather all your veggies and roast them in the oven. Doing this allows you to continue to enjoy them as a side dish, in a salad, fried rice, or thrown in a quesadilla or frittata.

  • Pickling and Preserving

    Submerging foods in vinegar, fermenting in a brine, or sealing in a can or jar, can prevent foods from spoiling or breaking down.

  • Regrow Scraps

    You can regrow many vegetables and herbs from kitchen scraps, including potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, green onions.

  • Utilize Your Freezer

    Most things can be froze before they go bad or expire. Freezing extends the shelf life of your food significantly. You can also freeze big batch meals to enjoy again at a later date.

Helpful Resources