Food Waste Hacks

Top Three Ways To Reduce Food Waste In A World That Is Wasteful. 

Most people don’t realize how much food they waste every day - from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. 

Food waste is estimated to be at 30-40% in the United States, based on the USDA’s Economic Research. This food waste has huge impacts on the environment because wasted food ends up in landfills, combustion facilities, or down the drain to the sewer system. 

According to the Recycle Track Systems the world wastes about 2.5 billion tons of food every year. The United States discards more food than any other country in the world - nearly 120 billion pounds every year. 

To put it into perspective, that equates to every person in America throwing an average of 900 sized apples into the garbage. And let’s be real, most of this waste ends up in landfills. 

Preventing food from going to waste is one of the easiest and most secure actions you can take to save money. It also allows you to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources. 

To be less wasteful and more considerate of the environment, here are our top 3 food waste hacks to consider.  

• Get To Know Your Food Labels 

One of the biggest reasons people throw out food is because of spoilage. More than 80 percent of Americans discard perfectly good, consumable food simply because they misunderstand expiration labels. 

For example, labels like “sell by”, “use by”, “best by”, and “freeze by” are confusing to people. There is no universal way to describe food labels, which is why there is such a wide variety of phrases used to describe quality dates. 

However, there are some commonly used phrases recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This includes the phrases: 

• Sell By - a date that tells the store how long to display the product for sale. This is for inventory purposes, not a safety date. 

• Use By - the last date recommended for the use of the product at peak quality. This isn’t a safety date, unless it is used on infant formula. 

• Best By - a date that indicates when a product will be of better quality. It is not a purchase or safety date..

• Freeze By - a date that indicates when a product should be frozen so that it maintains its peak quality. This is not a purchase or safety date. 

2. Plan Your Meals, Prepared Foods Can Be Frozen 

If you don’t plan on eating your food immediately, can it be consumed at a later date? 

If the answer is yes, freeze your food! You can freeze a lot of different foods, including cooked meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy products (butter and hard cheese) as well as rice and prepared dishes (soups and casseroles). 

To give you some more ideas on the types of foods you can freeze here are 40 Foods That Freeze Well!!! Freezing Tips To Save Time & Money

Freezing a meal allows you to take advantage of sales without having to worry about the food going bad. Buying in bulk also allows you to plan your meals. 

By planning your meals, you are being intentional about your shopping list. This can prevent impulse buys so that you can ensure you only purchase necessary items. It makes your shopping experience more efficient and organized.

3. Spread The wealth And Donate Food

Whenever you have leftovers, consider donating them to those who may need it most. There are plenty of food pantries where you can deliver leftovers or even donate food. 

Local to Kingston, People’s Place is our food pantry of choice. They are the largest food pantry in Ulster County, supplying fresh, frozen, canned, and boxed food that can create meals for days. 

Weekly you can visit their “Your Choice” Food Pantry as well as the Bounty Table, which can be found at the front of the pantry. This table offers free food items daily and their “Personal Care Closet” offers free toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and deodorant.