Did you know that the average American family throws away nearly $1,500 worth of food every year, and most of it is from the produce drawer. With grocery prices on the rise, wasting food isn’t just an environmental problem, it’s a budget problem.

The good news? A few simple habits can make a real difference. Here’s how to keep more of your food (and your money) where it belongs. 

If reducing food waste is on your list to accomplish this year, keep reading to find practical tips on exactly how to start.

Food Waste in America

According to the USDA, Americans waste around 30-40% of the edible food supply each year. This equates to about 219 pounds of waste per person and over $220 billion wasted annually.

Last year, roughly 25% of all food in the U.S. went to waste destinations like landfills, incineration, or down the drain. The problem is real, and there are simple ways American families can reduce these numbers.

6 Ways to Reduce Food Waste

You buy the groceries with the best intentions, but somehow the spinach wilts and the leftovers get forgotten. You’re not alone. Luckily, there are simple things you can do at home to reduce food waste, save money, and help the environment.

1. Composting

Composting is the process of breaking down food scraps and organic waste into a nutrient-rich material that can be used to fertilize soil and gardens.

Instead of throwing banana peels, vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds, and eggshells into the trash, you collect them and let them decompose naturally over time. The end result is called compost — a dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling material that gardeners sometimes call “black gold” because of how well it nourishes plants.

What you can compost:

• Grass clippings and leaves 
• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Eggshells
• Bread and grains
• Nuts and seeds

You don’t need tons of space to start composting. The easiest way to compost is to store your food scraps in a bin in your freezer or the back of your fridge. If you have a home garden, you can use the compost there.

The goal of composting is to return nutrients back to the earth rather than sending organic waste to a landfill.

Related: Compostability 101

2. Eat Leftovers Intentionally

Rather than hoping leftovers get eaten, plan for them. Cook once, eat twice. Try to designate one night a week as a “use it up” night where dinner is built from whatever’s left in the fridge.

There are many creative ways you can make use of leftovers. For example, if you have some leftover grilled chicken, turn it into a chicken salad and take it to lunch the next day. Or if you have some extra spinach, add it to a smoothie or pasta dish.

3. Keep Food Properly Stored and Organized

“First in, first out” works for reducing food waste too. When you unpack groceries, move older items to the front and put new ones in the back. This will ensure you use what’s closest to expiring first.

Storing your food (especially fruits and vegetables) properly can make it last a few extra days or more. Ensure your refrigerator is at the right temperature, and know where to place your fruits and veggies. 

Some fruits (like bananas) emit natural gasses when they ripen, causing nearby foods to spoil faster. And don’t forget, if you buy too much produce, you can toss it in the freezer for later use. 

4. Make the Most of Scraps

Most people are in the habit of tossing scraps in the garbage while cooking. However, food scraps can quickly add up to an entire meal. Here are some tips to make the most of your unused food scraps:

• Make your own broth from meat or vegetable scraps.
• Run wilted or limp veggies under cold water and make soup. 
• Turn your stale bread into French toast, bread pudding, croutons, or breadcrumbs. 
• Turn your browned avocados into a moisturizing mask for your face. 
• Use your veggie scraps, seeds, and pits to grow your own produce. 

Try this DIY foot scrub to put leftover lemons to use! 

5. Meal Planning

Deciding what you’ll cook before you shop is the single biggest lever. When you know exactly what you need, you buy less randomly, use what you buy, and throw away far less. A weekly meal plan makes a difference in reducing food waste.

Make a list of meals you’d like to prepare for the week, and try to pick recipes that will allow you to reuse some of your ingredients. 

For example, if you plan to make a vegetable egg frittata, choose another recipe to cook that week that will allow you to use up the rest of your veggies. Once you’ve created a shopping list, stick to it and avoid impulse buys.

Most of us buy junk food on impulse, which we tend to eat first, resulting in produce going to waste. Stick to the list, so you don’t make this mistake. 

6. Understand Expirations Dates

The biggest misconception about food expiration dates is that they signal safety. In most cases, they don’t. They’re about quality, and indicating to consumers the dates of peak flavor, texture, and freshness as determined by the manufacturer.

Eating food past these dates is rarely dangerous; it just might not taste as good. Food waste can be significantly lessened by better understanding exactly what expiration dates mean.

Related: Reduce Kitchen Waste

Food Waste: The Bottom Line

At The Produce Moms, we believe that good food deserves to be eaten, not thrown away.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the most nutritious foods on the planet, and they work best when they actually make it to the table. We hope these tips help you get more out of every grocery run, waste less of what your body needs most, and feel good about the choices you’re making for your family every single day.

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