Measure out exactly what you need and don’t overbuy. Don’t be afraid of buying produce that looks misshapen as most are just fine to eat.
2. Practice FIFO (First in, First out)
When unpacking groceries, move older products to the front of the refrigerator and put new items in the back. This way, you’re more likely to notice the older food items.
3. Freeze to make them last
Paste a list of what’s in the freezer and the date when each item was frozen on the freezer door. This makes it easy to use items before they pass their prime.
4. Plan a weekly grocery list
Shortlist the meals you plan and make your grocery list accordingly. Tip: You can use a meal-planning app to do this.
5. Plan 'use-it-up' meals
Designate at least one dinner each week as a “use-it-up” meal where you use leftovers and other food that might otherwise get overlooked.
If the same foods are constantly being tossed out, make a note to eat them sooner, buy less of them, incorporate them into more recipes, or freeze them.
Fruits and vegetables don’t always have to be tossed out just because they are reaching the end of their peak or don’t look pristine. Soft or soggy fruits can be made into nutritious smoothies.
Expiration dates don’t always have to do with food safety; rather, they’re usually manufacturers’ suggestions for peak quality.
If stored properly, most foods stay edible past their use-by date, just not at their peak freshness.
10. Become a zero-waste chef
When cooking, use every piece of whatever food you’re cooking with, whenever possible. Skins, leaves, and stems often provide additional nutrients for our bodies.
Chef’s advice: Sauté cauliflower stems along with the florets, add vegetable/meat scraps to homemade stocks, and use citrus fruit rinds and zest to add flavour to other meals.
Several food banks in India are working to fight hunger and malnutrition. They work with the belief that making new food to feed the less privileged is not needed; simply directing the excess can make a huge difference.
13. Feed table scraps to animals
Taking out time to feed these starving animals is better and kinder than just dumping your table scraps. Also, many farmers happily accept food scraps to feed their livestock.