5 tips to avoid food waste

There was a time when I was a young student; I cooked less often. I used to go to the grocery store not really knowing what I wanted to cook and always got myself many perishable foods (like fruits and vegetables). Frequently, they ended up decomposing on the counter or in my refrigerator.

I have now been cooking daily for the past few years, and my grocery shopping is much more organized. However, I still find myself with some rotten vegetables in my fridge. Over time, I have developed some tips for avoiding food waste, and it is now very rare that I have to get rid of food!

Here are my 5 tips...

1. Choose your recipes based on what you already have in your kitchen!

Every Sunday, I sit down at my kitchen table and go through my favorite recipe books and/or blogs. But first, I take a look in my pantry and fridge to make sure I know what I already have. For example, suppose I see that I have a few zucchinis and tomatoes left about to go mouldy. In that case, I make sure to pick one or two recipes that contain these foods (like a ratatouille)!

2. Choose recipes that contain similar ingredients!

It's easy to choose multiple recipes with completely different ingredients. This causes us to buy a lot of perishable foods, and we end up with leftovers that may stay on the counter for too long and finish up in the trash! To avoid this, it is better to pick recipes with a few similar ingredients. For example, recipes with cauliflower, chickpeas and quinoa! By making different recipes, the flavors will also vary, and therefore we get less bored of the food. Plus, you will see that this advice is very economical!

3. Use the right containers!

Nowadays, many containers allow fruits and vegetables to keep freshness much longer, and I guarantee that their effectiveness and quite surprising! You just need to know which ones are the most recommended.

4. Use the freezer!

When you start to notice that certain foods are about to expire, put them in the freezer quickly! They will remain good for several months, and you can take them out at the right time. For example, frozen fruits are very good for smoothies and vegetable scraps for your broths!

5. Only buy the needed quantity!

Big quantities can easily be tempting at the grocery store. For example, if you love apples and applesauce, then no problem buying the big bag! On the other hand, if you only need two or three apples for a recipe and know that the rest may not be eaten, prioritize purchasing only the required amount. Buying in bulk is also a great solution. It allows you to get the necessary quantities without being stuck with products that you generally do not use at all or often.

I hope you find my little tips useful to avoid waste as much as possible!

By Katia Bricka
Writer at RAW Nutritional