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SNAP4CT Blog

Your Guide to Preventing Food Waste: Part 2

5/19/2020

16 Comments

 
Get More From Your Food

Get More From Your Food!

In last month’s first part of Your Guide to Preventing Food Waste, you learned about food dates, food safety, and foods that last longer. This month you’ll learn even more tips to get the most value from your food. We'll explain how to store foods so they don’t spoil, how to use every bit of the food you buy, and how different forms of food can help you prevent waste and save money.  

Store Food Properly

Food can spoil quickly if it is not stored properly. Follow these tips to be sure that your food stays fresh and safe longer.
  • Cool quickly. Get perishable foods into the refrigerator or a cooler as quickly as possible.
  • Organize your pantry and fridge. Keep older items in the front. This will remind you to use them first. Remember FIFO (first in, first out).
  • Avoid the refrigerator door. Try not to store the most perishable foods in the door of the refrigerator. The temperature in the door changes more frequently and is warmer than the shelves or the back of the fridge.
  • Freeze foods. Freezing stops bacteria from growing and will make foods last for months longer. This is an especially good tip for any fruits and vegetables that are about to go bad. Once frozen they make a great addition to a smoothie or a soup.
  • Keep air out. Store foods in air-tight containers. For packaged foods like cereal, remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag tightly with a clip. 
  • Pay extra attention to fruits and vegetables. Find Helpful Tips for Green Leafy Vegetables, learn to store fruits and vegetables with this guide (PDF) from HalfYourPlate.ca, and see the videos below to Save Your Greens and Regrow Your Greens.

Food Storage Chart


Keep this helpful 1-page Food Storage Chart (PDF) on your refrigerator. It serves as a great reminder of how long you can safely keep some of the most perishable foods.
Food Storage Chart PDF

Eat All Parts of a Food

One of the best ways to prevent waste is by eating every bit of a food. Here are some suggestions:
Veggie Top Pesto
  • Make a simple Veggie Pesto with leftover green tops.
  • Toast stale bread or cereal and use as breadcrumbs.
  • Wash potatoes well with a veggie brush, and then eat the skins.
  • Compost the skins of other fruits and veggies to help perk up plants. Learn how to compost here.
  • Don’t be scared of bruised fruit! Cut off the brown parts, the rest is usually delicious. Brown bananas are especially tasty when frozen and used in a smoothie like this Mango Banana Smoothie.


Explore Foods in All Forms

Fresh foods often taste best, but as you already learned last month, they don’t last very long. That’s where frozen, jarred, and canned foods really come in handy. If you follow this blog you know that we especially LOVE frozen fruits and frozen vegetables without sauces. They are convenient, inexpensive, and filled with nutrients.

When using canned foods, keep in mind they tend to be high in sodium (salt). Look for reduced sodium canned soups and vegetables. Rinse canned foods like tuna or vegetables to remove the extra sodium in the brine. Choose canned or jarred fruits without added sugar, and rinse those options as well to cut back on the sugar.  

Find Even More Ideas ...

5 Long Lasting Fruits & Veggies
How to Use Fruits & Veggies that are about to go Bad

Save Your Greens

Regrow Your Greens


Print Friendly and PDF
16 Comments
Newham Rubbish Removals link
8/26/2021 01:48:09 pm

Highly descriptive and informative article and video. Thanks!

Reply
Waste Collection link
8/30/2021 01:05:08 pm

Nice tips on video. Very worthwhile to watch

Reply
Waste Collection Company link
9/1/2021 02:36:37 pm

Great points about preventing food waste

Reply
Rubbish Removal in Surrey link
9/7/2021 12:31:46 pm

Excellent guide for food waste prevention

Reply
Waste Collection Company link
9/8/2021 12:46:21 pm

Great guide!

Reply
Rubbish Removal in Richmond link
9/9/2021 12:57:48 pm

Interesting post and I must say I was educated by this article.

Reply
Rubbish Removal in Dublin link
9/10/2021 02:58:39 pm

That is a remarkable article

Reply
Cheap Rubbish Removal link
9/10/2021 04:00:03 pm

Love this!

Reply
Enfield Rubbish Removals link
9/13/2021 10:58:12 am

Thank you for sharing this incredible knowledge :)

Reply
Waste Collection link
9/15/2021 01:42:05 pm

Very impressive guide!

Reply
Tex Hooper link
12/21/2021 02:33:35 pm

I appreciate what you said about minimizing what you eat so you don't have as much trash. I need to get a cleaning crew to haul out all of my trash. I'm starting to feel like a hoarder with how much we have in the house.

Reply
ARIFE link
6/23/2022 04:05:03 am

interesting review and very useful

Reply
Emma Edison link
8/6/2022 01:36:56 am

It is very helpul content.So I learned about food storage methods from this content.

Reply
John Carston link
10/27/2022 08:55:24 pm

It's great that you elaborated on the importance of understanding the food expiration dates and limitations to make the most out of your stocks. My cousin told me a couple of days ago that he was hoping to find a rubbish removal solution that can help them have proper waste management in their home. He asked if I had any idea what would be the best option to do. I'm grateful for this instructive article. I'll tell him that they can consult a well-known skip bins services as they can help with proper waste management.

Reply
Catherine Moore link
11/10/2022 01:48:11 am

For me food waste is one of the hardest to handle. This will help me greatly.

Reply
Tex Hooper link
1/10/2023 10:47:59 pm

I like what you said about throwing away bruised fruit. I have a lot of food that needs to be thrown away. I'll have to put them in compost.

Reply



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  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Categories >
      • Kid Friendly Recipes
      • No Added Sugar
      • Vegetarian Recipes
      • Heart Healthy Recipes
      • Five Ingredients or Less
      • Quick and Easy Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Breads and Muffins
    • Desserts
    • Dips and Salsas
    • Drinks and Smoothies
    • Meatless Meals
    • Meals with Meat
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups and Stews
    • Sodium Free Spice Blends
    • Recetas
  • Farmers Markets
    • Find a Farmers Market
    • CT Crop Calendar
    • Using SNAP/EBT at Farmers Markets
  • Education
    • Healthy Eating >
      • MyPlate
      • Understanding The Nutrition Label
      • Added Sugar
      • Healthy Snacking Tips
      • Calories Needed Each Day
      • What is "enough" fruits and vegetables
      • Recipe Videos
    • Budget Shopping >
      • Healthy Shopping on a Budget
      • What Can $16 Buy?
      • Budget Pantry
    • Diabetes >
      • Healthy Eating with Diabetes
      • "Diabetes-Friendly" Recipe Guide
    • Heart Health
    • Exercise Tips
    • Physical Literacy
    • Water First for Your Thirst
  • SNAP4CT Blog
  • Resources
    • DSS Offices and SNAP Help
    • FAQ
    • Free Health Events in CT
    • Organizations
    • SNAP-Ed Events Calendar
    • Healthy Food Pantry Donations