Food waste continues to be a huge problem all over the world. Luckily, according to the experts, you can help improve the global food waste situation in your own home with just a little bit of re-organization.
Below, you’ll find organizational tips from nutrition experts and foodies that will help you save money, make the most out of the contents of your fridge, and keep your food waste to a minimum.
Give everything in your fridge an assigned spot
Do you find that you reach into your fridge only to discover a forgotten container full of leftovers (and an impressive growth of mold) more often than you’d like to admit? That’s why leftovers are best stored on the top shelf, at eye level, so that you remember to warm them up to eat them before it’s too late. Here’s a quick guide of where to store items in your fridge:
Top shelf: Containers with leftovers, water-filter pitcher, milk
Fridge door: beverages and condiments
Middle shelf: nut butter, yogurts, cheeses, other dairy products, jam
Bottom shelf: eggs, meat, fish
Crisper: veggies, fruits, herbs
Stick to your list at the grocery store
“One very simple way to cut down on food waste is to head into the grocery store with a plan. Just like your daily to-do list, having a plan keeps you focused on what you need,” explains nutrition expert Palak Patel. “Before doing your grocery shopping, sit down and figure out what you want to eat this week, what you have in your refrigerator already, and what ingredients you need.” Not only will this save you time and stress while you’re at the grocery store, but you’ll be less likely to drift to the snack aisle to accidentally drop unneeded (and unhealthy) items into your cart.
Freeze items that are going to take you longer to use
If you know that it takes you forever to go through a food item, like a bag of nuts for instance, then save yourself the heartache of throwing them in the trash when it’s too late by portioning out a smaller amount to keep in the pantry for your snacking pleasure and packing the rest away in the freezer for a later date.
Click here to read part one of the reduce home food waste series.
