While I'm writing this to help all my followers, I'm really creating a "to-do" list for myself. I need to take a dose of my own medicine here! Below is what I plan to do to cut back on wasted food. I hope an idea or two really resonates with you!
1. Make a Shopping List
This seems obvious, right?! But sometimes in the rush that we call "life" it just doesn't get done. My advice? Don't go to the store without one! Another important note on this one. Take INVENTORY before making your list. Open the fridge and pantry and look through everything...You need to know what you NEED and what you DON'T NEED. Don't get to the store and think, "Oh shoot, I can't remember how many eggs we had left!". You'll end up buying more eggs when you had a full dozen already. Put some TIME and THOUGHT behind your list then STICK TO IT!
2. Create a Meal Plan
This is something you would do before step number one of "making a list" if you really wanted to go above and beyond. Although I do provide clean eating meal plans for my customers, it doesn't have to be any sort of official meal plan. Sit down your with spouse or family and ask them what sounds good to eat over the next week. You could even look up a few new recipes first! Pick a meal for each night (working around already planned social events/dinners), choose whether you need additional food for lunch or if you'll be eating leftovers, and then pick a handful of items for snacks. Once you have a set plan, take inventory then make a list of what you will need. This will ensure you have enough food for the week, but not anything unnecessary or more than what you can actually eat.
3. Keep a FOOD LIST on the Fridge
I don't know about your significant other, but Derrick always complains that there is nothing to eat...TWO DAYS after we just went to the store! What I plan to do is keep a list on the fridge of foods that need to be eaten. If you made a meal plan this is basically already done, but if you didn't this could be a good back up plan. When Derrick is grabbing things from the fridge to throw in his lunch, he has a handy-dandy FOOD LIST to remind him of what's in the fridge and ready to eat.
For example, I might put:
Fruit (to be eaten this week) - Bananas and Kiwis
Veggies (for side dishes) - Carrots, asparagus, broccoli, green beans
Snack Items - Yogurt, string cheese, boiled eggs, hummus
Lunch Ideas - Leftovers, deli meat sandwich
4. Don't buy TOO MUCH Fruit
I LOVE fruit and always go overboard when buying it at the store. Realistically I shouldn't be eating fruit for every meal, and that means that I shouldn't buy some of every fruit in the store. Limit yourself to two varieties each week.
5. Freeze your Foods
If you do buy too much, FREEZE your excess. You can freeze a lot more things than you probably think! Here's a quick list:
- Baked Goods
- Baking Supplies
- Dairy
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Whole Meals
Here's a good blog with LOTS of details: http://andreadekker.com/freezable-foods/
My favorite tips here are to peel then freeze your almost-too-ripe bananas, put your loaf of bread into freezer baggies then thaw out only what you need each day (we don't eat bread on a daily basis), chop up lots of veggies, portion them to 2-4 cups a bag and freeze, steam them for a quick side dish to any meal!
And last but not least...
6. STOP EATING OUT!
Yes, I had to add this in there. If you are spending money at the grocery store, you need to stop spending money by eating out. Don't load up on food then get lazy and head to McDonalds. Your food will go bad and you'll be out twice the amount of money! Eat what you've already paid for, plain and simple.
