Welcome to month three of our year-long zero-waste challenge. This month, we’re hungering to take on food prep and storage solutions (p. 69-83 in our guide, Zero Waste, by Shia Su). If you’re like us, you feel guilty when you toss leftovers or expired food—what a waste, right? It sure is: Up to 40% of food is wasted in the U.S. every year. So read on to learn some easy ways to create less food waste.
Make a menu, make a list
It sounds so basic, but planning a week’s worth of menus and making a grocery list is a game-changer. It will keep you from buying random ingredients that you won’t use, or staring into the fridge wondering what to make for dinner. Need inspiration? Search for recipes online; there are endless options on Instagram or simply Google recipes that use your favorite foods.
For grocery lists, I use the Anylist grocery list app. It lets me share it with the family so they can add their needed items. We have one list for Costco and one for Freddie’s. Easy peasy. I don’t know how we ever lived without it. Find the free app in your phone’s app store or check them out here: https://www.anylist.com/
Processed foods? Scratch that
As much as possible, try to make meals from scratch. Scratch cooking uses less packaging than processed food, and you can control how much you cook, so there’s less waste. It’s also healthier! It might sound like a lot of work, but it’s not if you keep recipes simple. I’ve learned from experience that I can be overly ambitious when I choose recipes. Mushroom feta tartlets on a Tuesday night? Not gonna happen. So now I keep it scratch, but keep it simple. I often make a double recipe, not because it necessarily prevents waste, but because I don’t want to cook every night.
Another tip: Buy local, especially produce; it will last longer than fruits and veggies that have made a long trip across the country. Farmers’ markets bring you fresh, just-picked goodies, so grab your reusable tote and see what’s available.
To everything there is a season
(If you know that song reference, I know you were born in the 1900s.) Just wanted to make a point about seasonal meal creation. In summer, you can take an hour on Sundays to create a week’s worth of salads from fresh ingredients. In winter, you can prep soups, stews, and casseroles. If you’re working full-time, it’s worth the weekend effort.
Use leftovers creatively
Leftovers from dinner make great next-day lunches, of course. You can also freeze them; I love opening the freezer and discovering chili from last week—no cooking tonight! (Yes, that’s a recurring theme here.) Oh, and a hint I learned the hard way: always label your freezer leftovers. You think you’ll remember what that lumpy brown frozen thing is, but you won’t. I once thawed out gravy that I thought was pasta sauce. So we had pasta with gravy that night.
You can also build a new dinner on leftovers; for instance, add black beans and red peppers to leftover rice. I can think very creatively when I don’t want to make a whole meal.
And what if you have leftover fresh ingredients, like veggies, starting to look sad in their little drawers? Toss them into a crock pot with some spices, pasta, beans, and broth, and ta-da, you have soup. You can also make delicious smoothies out of leftover fruit. Use it immediately or freeze it (let it thaw a bit before you blend it).
Want to dig in further on zero-waste cooking? Zero Waste Kitchen is a great resource.
Food storage fun
We used to call our pantry the Black Hole. Food went in, but much of it never came out, because we had no idea what was hiding in there. Did we mend our ways? No, we moved to a house that doesn’t have a pantry. But in truth, I did learn to organize a pantry sustainably (thanks to working at Big Rocks). Here’s how:
- Start with a clean slate. Empty out your pantry and throw out (or compost) expired food. If it expired recently, is it still safe? Learn more on the USDA food safety website.
- If you have food that you know won’t be used, that isn’t expired, donate it to a food pantry.
- There’s no one right way to organize. You can do it by package type, such as all cans together, all boxes together, and so on. Or organize by food type, such as all snacks together, all breakfast foods, or baking supplies together–it’s really about what works for you.
- Store taller items in the back, or use shelf risers to keep food visible.
- Put things that are about to expire in the front. Better yet, put them on your counter and incorporate them into next week’s meals.
- Make a habit of checking what’s in your pantry when making menus; use it or lose it!
- If you’re deprived like me and don’t have a pantry, these tips also work well for cabinet and fridge storage.
- Check out this tasty food storage guide to learn more about keeping food fresh.
Resist! You probably don’t need to buy containers
Much as we love a good run to that big store that sells nothing but containers…do we really need more containers? Probably not. You can repurpose jars, boxes, and baskets that you already have around the house. If you do need to buy containers, shop at thrift stores. Most have shelves full of used Mason jars and other storage solutions. Opt for glass containers, unless you have small kids—choose whatever’s safest for them if they make their own snacks.
If you’re feeling extra inspired…
- Make your own yogurt, nut butters, and hummus—even almond milk–in a blender.
- Compost your scraps or boil them to make your own soup broth.
- Plant an herb and/or vegetable garden this spring. You can even do this on a windowsill.
- Incorporate Meatless Mondays. Plant-based meals create a smaller carbon footprint than meat-based ones.
- Be “that person” who gently nags your family and friends about zero waste.
📺“Ask The Organizer” Zero Waste Series
Watch the replay of our “Food Prep and Storage” workshop here!
Want help on your zero-waste journey?
If your pantry or kitchen could use some sustainable spiffing up, schedule a free exploratory call with Big Rocks Organizing. We would be honored to work with you.
About Andrea Thompson
Andrea was an advertising copywriter/creative director for 40 years before retiring, then unretiring to start a new career in organizing, then retiring again to travel the world with her husband, John. She fully admits her home is not 100% organized.