Do you feel like half the food you buy ends up in the trash? Statistics from 2015 claim 40% of American food is wasted at some point in the food chain, 50% of that by consumers. That means most Americans throw out at least 20% of what they buy.
Pay attention to how much your family eats & what they don’t like. Stop buying the things they don’t eat. You can still hope that eventually a miracle will happen and they will adore raw kale salads, but if it’s not happening right now — give it a rest for a while.
When you go out to eat, don’t bring home leftovers. Order less or share a meal. You and I both know restaurant leftovers rarely taste good the next day and usually linger in the fridge until they’re inedible. Plus they take up a lot of room in those huge leftover containers. Just don’t even go there. (Even better — eat at home and use the food from your fridge.)
Don’t buy food without a plan. Here’s how to plan a menu for a month and how to shop for a month. Not ready to do a month at a time? Check out this post about how to plan and shop for a week.
With some practice, planning, and realistic purchasing, you can conquer your refrigerator and get a handle on your food waste issues. You will save money, have a more organized refrigerator, AND feel better about actually USING the food you purchase!