Stop throwing cash in the trash and learn how to plan food shopping, properly store foods from pantry to freezer, get creative with what you’ve got and decode expiration dates with registered dietitian nutritionist Rosanne Rust, author of Zero Waste Cooking.
BASIC CONCEPTS
• Have a Food Plan
• Shop Smart
• Store It Right
• Use it all
INTRO
• Food waste stats
• Money wasted per household
• When you throw food away, you are throwing both money AND nutrition away
Have a Food Plan
• Food planning, in lieu of meal planning
• Consider batch cooking – grains, ground beef, chicken breasts – then use in another meal to save time or freeze them cooked.
• Take inventory once a week in your kitchen – what do you already HAVE, and what do you NEED – fridge, freezer, pantry shelves. THEN make your shopping list.
• Use your freezer!! Take inventory for “what do I need to cook or freeze within the next few days?” Cook it or freeze it!!
• Keep in mind that cooking food can lengthen its life – for instance, spinach – cook the bag even if you aren’t going to eat it – it’ll last cooked longer, and you can throw it into an omelet or soup or freeze for another time. Same with meats.
Shop Smart
• Of course, the #1 way to waste less, is to buy less – buy what you need and can USE.
• Have a plan for everything that goes into your cart. Be a mindful shopper
• Fresh produce tops the list of “most wasted foods” – choose some fresh but also add frozen veggies and fruit to your cart. Frozen vegetables have a comparable, and sometimes a better nutrition profile over fresh.
• Check the freezer section for other products too – frozen shrimp, cooked chicken
Store it Right
• Keeping foods stored properly helps preserve the food – this preserves nutrition too!
• There’s a whole section in my book about properly storing produce – there’s a reason for those humidity levers in those drawers in your fridge!
• Essentially – air is an enemy. You want airtight bags or containers. And in many cases moisture is an enemy – delicate produce like greens or berries do not want too much moisture!
• People are super into all sorts of fancy storage containers on social media, but in fact produce manufacturers go to great effort to come up with packaging that works! So keep the apples in bag, keep the berries in their clamshell, etc.
• Best-by, Sell-by Dates! These are quality dates, not food safety dates
Other Notes
• You don’t have to follow a recipe exactly – swap ingredients.
• Use Versatile and Multi-purpose Ingredients – plain yogurt (baking, dips, with fruit)
• Staples make meals – canned tomatoes, canned beans, grains (pasta, rice)
• Shop your freezer and pantry! Use AI to figure out what to make with what you have
• Storing food properly keeps it food-safe, but also preserves flavor and nutrition!
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