There are several reasons we throw so much food away. We impulse buy, we buy food in bulk that have a very short shelf-life, such as fruits and vegetables, we throw away leftovers, or we simply don’t eat it because we cannot just open the package and put it in our mouth (i.e. it requires cooking first). So here are some very simple solutions to keep more of the food you purchase:
1. Make a list and stick to it.
2. Go shopping only once week and buy exactly what you need. (Unless you choose to buy in bulk and, if so, make sure the food use through date is long enough for you to use it.)
3. When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, buy only what you need for the week and no more. (Warning: fruits and vegetables have a very short self-life.)
4. Clean all fruits and vegetables and place them in the refrigerator, for easy use and access.
5. If you find that you are still not eating something, DO NOT BUY IT AGAIN. Create a meal with those items before you have to throw them out.
6. Use your leftovers. Create a different meal with your leftovers. My book, Save Your Money Save Your Family has a whole chapter on turning leftovers into big winners and will be in bookstores soon. In the meantime I’ll be sharing some of those very same tips with you – and a few more not found in the book – on this blog.
7. Buy frozen food items (green peas, mixed vegetables, beans, corn, blue berries, fruits, etc.) that come in re-sealable packaging. This is a great way to take exactly what you need, reseal the package and throw away nothing.
Recipe of the Week: Perfect Banana Bread
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons soda
• 4 cups flour
• 6 large bananas, very ripe, mashed
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture. Stir in bananas and chopped pecans.
2. Pour banana nut bread batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans; bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. This banana nut bread recipe makes 2 loaves.
Reading your post and trying it myself frozen food is a great way to go. It’s healthier than caned and a lot easier to use and restore.
ReplyDeleteEven with leftovers you can simple freeze them and the days that you don’t have time to make anything place it in the microwave and you have a nice healthy cheap meal from home!
Great Tip!! this works for eveyone on the go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading my blog