The Freezer is The New Black

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None of us like throwing away money but this is exactly what happens when we let food rot in the fridge or when we have too much of an ingredient left over but not enough for another recipe. I'm talking about that tub of fresh berries you forgot about behind that pizza box all week or that half a can of tomato paste that the recipe didn't call for. I know that I can get super frustrated when I have to throw things away and I'm sure you do too! 

Did you know that nearly 40% of all food produced in the United States is wasted(108 billion pounds)? What’s shocking is that about 39% of that is specifically from food wasted in our homes. 


Wouldn't it be amazing if there was an easy way to save money on groceries and also save the planet? Well we're in LUCK! There are lots of simple things we can do in our kitchens that will not only save us money on that weekly grocery bill but also help reduce food waste! 


Obviously the easiest way to reduce food waste is to create a meal plan each week and actually stick to that plan but we all know that is way easier said than done. I am going to share 3 easy tricks you can do to reduce your food waste and save money on your groceries that will account for that impromptu wine night out or pizza night in. 



  1. Freeze Unused Portions of Ingredients. 

I hate it when I have to open a brand new can of tomato paste for a recipe that calls for 1 tablespoon. Instead of throwing out the unused portion, freeze it! Lay down a freezer friendly tray (I recommend a silicone baking sheet). Measure out the unused portion in the typical size needed.  For example, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.  Place it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Once it is initially frozen you can move the dollops to a freezer friendly container. Now each time you need it, you can grab that pre measured portion from the freezer! This works with almost any sauce, condiment or ingredient and you can also use ice cube trays as portion controls. 


  1. Prep Fruits and Berries Ahead of Time.

Taking 15 minutes to wash and cut your fruit will also save you time and helps make fruit more easily accessible for snacking.  If your fruit is already prepped for storage and you find yourself not able to finish it before it goes bad, simply lay it on a freezer friendly tray and pop it in the freezer. Again, once it is frozen you can move it to a freezer friendly container. Now, you can use it for overnight oats, oatmeal or baking. 

3. Have Extra Veggies That Are About to go Bad? Make Chili or Soup!

Chili and vegetable soups are two of the easiest ways to use up vegetables. If you notice you have some produce about to turn, toss it all together and cook it up. If you already have dinner plans, pour it into airtight containers and freeze it. Now you have dinner ready for a busy day studying for finals! 


Happy Freezing! 

J.D

Resources: Food Waste in America | Feeding America. (n.d.). https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/our-approach/reduce-food-waste

Comments

  1. OliviaDecember 3, 2022 at 4:53 PM

    This is a great topic---I HATE wasting food!! This is also helpful for finding ways to save time for cooking on the weekdays!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tim MorrisDecember 6, 2022 at 5:03 PM

    Great post! The freezer is one of those tools that sometimes I forget to utilize... this is a GREAT reminder that we can freeze our food before it goes back and COMBAT FOOD WASTE!

    ReplyDelete

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