3 Ways to Reduce Food Waste & Save Money
Food is one of our largest expenses with the most wiggle room to save money. Yet, Americans waste a third of the food they acquire.
In other words, we are potentially tossing anywhere from $1000 to $2000 in the trash each year. While 72 billion pounds of food is wasted annually, nearly 40 million Americans suffer from food insecurity (poor food access and hunger).
The simplest way to honor food is to practice Food Dignity®.
Food Dignity respects everyone’s access to healthy food at all times. It starts with you in your home and with your food. Food Dignity encourages everyone to shop with intention, eat with respect, and leave no leftover behind!
Practicing Food Dignity® allows us to:
- save money
- reduce food waste
- fight hunger
3 Tips to Reduce Food Waste & Save Money
1. Play the Food Leftover Game.
Place the leftovers on the counter and don’t forget to check your freezer. Ask your family to come up with 2-3 meal ideas. Tell them they have to use everything on hand and pretend they do not have access to a grocery store. Dedicate one or two nights during the week to eating leftovers in a new and exciting way.
Helpful Tip: Use SuperCook to find a recipe with the ingredients you have available.
2. Practice a flexitarian eating style.
Find and use recipes with a flexible and Food Dignity® mindset. Too many times, we get caught up in following the directs perfectly. Instead, keep an open mind and welcome a new kitchen adventure. If you have cabbage but the recipe calls for brussel sprouts, use the cabbage instead. If the recipe calls for corn but you have peas or green beans, live on the edge.
Helpful Tip: read Keep Food Safe
3. Always think a free lunch!
What do you do with your leftovers? Think……free lunch! Imagine what you’ll save eating leftovers instead of spending money on lunch. Not to mention, the leftovers might have ended up in the trash.
Helpful Tip: Pack your lunch while you are cleaning up dinner!
Are you ready to save money?
Your challenge: Cook 2-3 meals each week (or more if you wish) for 4 weeks. Once you are done eating dinner, pack up the leftovers in containers to take for lunch the next day.
Please encourage others and share your ideas with us. Go ahead and post your lunch on Instagram and tag me! Make sure you use the hashtag #FoodDignity.
Welcome to the Food Dignity® blog, where each article exposes the truth about hidden hunger and food insecurity.
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