T: “Hey, babe…how long have these blueberries been in here?”
B: 🤷🏽♂️”I don’t even know…”
T: “We gotta do better”😞
We know we’re not alone. We also know that food waste is a real problem that we ALL can reduce in many ways. With rising grocery costs, an unpredictable economy, and the green movement gaining more traction, each household has the power to make an impact. Don’t you want to take part in that? Well, here are a few empowering causes that might further inspire you to start today…
Economically
Food costs, meaning our grocery bills, have increased over the last 5 – 7 years, and still, we’re throwing away food. Every forgotten piece of produce embodies your trip to the store, the time spent shopping, and the money spent from every angle. So consider that, in addition to inflation not slowing down much… let’s try harder to cut our waste. Reducing food waste saves time and energy, as well as some money 💵, which could be put towards paying down debt, a vacation, or adding to or starting a savings account.
Environmentally & Ethically
We know you’ve heard someone say, at least once in your life, “People are starving every day”…and they’re right. Whether it’s nationally or globally, 1 in 9 people face food insecurity. So, consider that and the fact that rotting food in landfills produces methane just like cow 💩🫢, and those greenhouse gases are way stronger than CO₂. And morally, keep in mind that every time you throw away food, a lot of resources went into its creation: water, soil, and energy, so be mindful of conserving as best you can.
Holistically
As mentioned, when you’re mindful of how you treat food, you build a healthier relationship with the way you consume it. Mindfulness also starts at a young age, as it did for us; our parents were mindful of how they shopped, what they cooked, and how much we ate, so a lot of that trickled down to us, minus the blueberries. 🤫 However, we’re doing the best we can and striving to do better, and it helps to cook with what we have a lot of times, as that ensures we use up any leftovers. It also enhances creativity and builds confidence, making us feel as though we can cook just about anything!💪🏽
Overall, there are plenty of ways we can do better for our wallets, the earth, and either stop food waste or truly reduce it. A few examples include:
- Before shopping, take inventory of your fridge and pantry. First items in should be the first items being used up.
- Create a weekly meal plan, create a shopping list, 📋 and stick to it!
- Storing food properly ensures you get the expected shelf life and longevity. We include storage tips on all of our recipes.
- Transform items into something else that you use in the kitchen
- Stale Bread > Croutons, Breadcrumbs, or French toast
- Chicken bones, vegetable scraps, herb stems > Homemade broth/stock
- Overripe fruit > Smoothie, fruit butter (we made pear and apple), or baked goods
- Leftovers > Wraps, stews, casseroles, etc.
- Vegetables past their prime > ferment or pickle them
- As we mention in a lot of our YouTube videos for our recipes, Compost!
- Donate any non-perishable items that you don’t eat or want to local food banks or neighbors in need. It’s very rewarding!
Reducing or stopping food waste costs nothing to start and is one of the highest-return habits you can build right now — for your wallet, your health, your community, and the planet.🌎 Join us!
