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
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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. |
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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:
- 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.
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.
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Save Your Greens
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