Food Waste Experts Share Kitchen Habits to Reduce Waste

Even those dedicated to reducing food waste admit to the common struggle of buying more produce than can be used. Shelie Miller, a sustainability researcher at the University of Michigan, described the temptation of purchasing items like acorn squash on impulse due to seasonal vibes. To combat this, Miller and her husband adhere to a shared grocery list and plan meals around their purchases.

Experts suggest several practical habits for reducing household food waste.

Creative Leftover Use

Miller has a weekly ritual of making a "kitchen-sink potato," topping a baked potato with any small amounts of leftover vegetables or meal components. This approach provides a versatile base for using up ingredients that aren't substantial enough for a full meal on their own.

Jonathan Deutsch, a professor at Drexel University and director of the Drexel Food Lab, advocates for utilizing often-discarded parts of vegetables, such as broccoli stems. He notes that the inner part of the stem is tender and flavorful when prepared properly, suggesting that peeling the tough exterior reveals edible portions. This philosophy extends to other ingredients, like the remaining half of a cabbage or leftover tomato paste, encouraging cooks to find secondary uses for them.

Smart Storage and Freezing

Brian Roe, who leads Ohio State University's Food Waste Collaborative, emphasizes the importance of proper storage. He keeps large quantities of apples in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage, a simple step that helps him consume the entire bag.

Miller also highlighted the common issue of frozen food being forgotten. To combat this, she and her husband shop their freezer first before making new purchases or meal plans. This practice helps them utilize pre-portioned items like frozen tomato paste or meals they've intentionally frozen for later use.

For efficient freezer storage, Miller's husband freezes soups and liquids flat in zip-top bags on a baking sheet. These flattened packages, dubbed "folders of soup," can then be stacked neatly, saving space.

Deutsch maintains a "stock bag" in his freezer, collecting vegetable trimmings like onion ends, mushroom bits, and herb stems. These scraps are later used to create homemade stock, adding depth of flavor to soups, rice, or other dishes. He advises being mindful of which scraps are added to avoid unwanted flavors in the final stock.

Maximizing Meals and Minimizing Purchases

Roe uses an air fryer to reheat restaurant leftovers, restoring crispness and making them appealing for a subsequent meal. He also suggests intentionally preparing leftovers in a way that makes them easy to reheat and consume, potentially transforming them into a different dish, like a salad.

Deutsch recommends leveraging AI tools to find creative ways to use existing ingredients. He advises providing AI with details like available time, equipment, and cooking comfort level to generate suitable recipes, preventing the need for extra grocery trips.

Miller advises being mindful of portion sizes, especially with animal products, which have a significant environmental footprint. By serving smaller portions, she aims to reduce the amount of meat and other animal products that might go uneaten.

Roe advocates for buying less food, particularly when hosting guests. He uses tools like the "Guest-imator" from Save the Food to estimate realistic serving sizes for gatherings, preventing over-preparation.

Rethinking Packaging and Composting

Miller noted that while reducing plastic is a goal, the environmental impact of food waste often outweighs that of packaging. A 2022 analysis she co-authored found that plastic packaging constituted a small fraction of the overall environmental footprint for many foods. She prioritizes consuming food over strict adherence to plastic-free practices when necessary.

While composting is a valuable tool, Miller stressed that it should not be seen as a license to waste food. Composting cannot fully recoup the resources used in food production. Her primary focus remains on eating available food, with composting serving as a final option for unavoidable scraps.