Being truly mindful of food waste means preventing it from happening in the first place. Did we tell you that the average American family of four throws away $1500 worth of food every year? Wouldn’t you rather spend that money making memories with your family? We would!
Use what you have. You cannot skip this part. We know…you want to get to the grocery store as fast as you can and get it over with. Been there, done that. But you need to take the extra 5 minutes to look in your fridge and your pantry and see what ingredients you have – especially the ones that are about to go south on you. Now plan your meals to include those ingredients. You can do it!
Use what you have first – you cannot skip this part! We know…you want to get to the grocery store as fast as you can and get it over with. Been there, done that. But before you go, you need to take the extra 5 minutes to look in your fridge and pantry to see what ingredients you already have – especially the ones that are about to go south on you. Now plan your meals to include those ingredients. You can do it!
Tons (literally) of food waste occurs because of inadequate storage. Here are some of our favorite tips to make your ingredients stay happier and live longer. A general rule of thumb: don’t wash anything until you are about to eat it. Excess water speeds up decomposition!
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Some herbs and veggies should be stored in a jar of water like a bouquet of fresh flowers. Asparagus and green onions, for example, will last longer this way. Herbs that have a soft stem like cilantro, dill, parsley and basil should all be trimmed and stored like this and refrigerated. Hard herbs (with a woody stem) such as sage, thyme, rosemary mint or chives should be wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in the refrigerator.
Celery and carrots will last longer if you trim them and store fully submerged in a bowl or jar of water.
Berries are delicious, but delicate. To make them last longer, they need a vinegar bath. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup vinegar, 3 cups water—and give your berries a dunk. The vinegar will eliminate any mold and bacteria. Dry the berries thoroughly and place them in a shallow container lined with a towel in the fridge (they do best stored in a single layer).
Potatoes and onions are not friends. They should both be stored in a cool dark place but not next to one another.
Your freezer is your friend! Freezing is an amazing way to preserve food, without the need of chemicals. You can freeze nuts, flour, butter, bananas, grapes, bread, applesauce, herbs, grated cheese, milk and meat. One of our favorite storage tips is to freeze whole tomatoes for making sauce. Run frozen tomatoes under hot water and the peel slips right off – so satisfying!
Let’s face it: sometimes cooking can feel like a chore. There’s nothing worse than having to cook when you’re rushed and your brain is split a million ways. We could write a book about the 4:00 panic of what’s going to magically feed the fam – we totally get it! The best way to avoid the chaos? Plan ahead and buy what you need for the week. When you’re prepared, cooking can be enjoyable (and even – dare we say it? – meditative). Mindfulness in the kitchen requires being fully engaged with your ingredients and letting your senses lead the way. Cooking with a scattered brain is an accident waiting to happen. No one wants to waste food because they spaced out while preparing it. We’ve all been there (hello, burned pizza), and it’s a bummer.
Once we’ve mastered the cooking headspace, we can use every ingredient to its full potential. This is known as “end to stem” or “nose to tail” cooking – essentially using everything you have and wasting nothing. Learning how to stretch ingredients takes time and practice. There are a lot of chefs out there showing us their kitchen hacks, and we are all ears! Some of our favorite chefs are leading the way:
