Trying to reduce waste as a family of 4 is not easy, but there are simple things you can do to make big difference in. Today I’m excited to share how we are reducing waste in the kitchen.
One of my intentions for 2018 has been to be mindful of our precious environment and to consequently waste less. As an active family of 4 that loves cooking, there are simple things we are trying to do in order to reduce both food and food packaging waste!
We will never be a zero waste family, I know that. But we are trying to make small changes and be mindful of how much we buy, what gets thrown away, and what can be reused. While none of the below are groundbreaking, they definitely make a big difference and I like to think that every little bit counts when it comes to the environment.
Here are ways we are reducing waste in our kitchen:
1. Clean out fridge regularly
By doing this, I know exactly what we have at all times and make sure nothing is expiring too quickly.
2. Keep leftovers and “eat soon” times near the front
This is such a simple thing that makes such a difference! I couldn’t tell you how many times in the past, leftovers have been shoved into the back of the fridge and spoiled because no one knew they were there! UGH… this is such a pet peeve for me!
And now that we are a family of 4 with both adult and kid food in the fridge, it’s important that we keep all leftovers and foods that need to be eaten soon in the front of the fridge (sometimes even labeled) so we make sure to eat those first!
3. Less plastic wrap, aluminum foil and paper towels
I will 100% admit that I once used WAY TOO MUCH plastic wrap! Both plastic wrap and aluminum foil are terrible for the environment ending up on landfill at best, and as litter on land and in the sea at worst.
So we are doing our best to use Tupperware and glass jars the majority of the time, use Bees Wax Wraps instead of plastic and if we need to use aluminum foil, we wash and reuse it! This little conscious change has already made a massive impact in the amount of plastic waste we produce.
In place of paper towels we are using simple 100% cotton wash clothes. I love [amazon text=these&asin=B01COZCDS0 ] for the kitchen, bathroom, to wipe surfaces and even to wash dishes.
4. Food scraps for stock
Did you know you could make out of this world stocks with veggie scraps and a few chicken bones!? This is a game changer for me! Since we eat lots of veggies, I have been saving and freezing veggie peels, stems, and butts for stock. It’s a super easy way to use entire vegetable swhile making hearty nutritious stocks at the same time. Since my toddler and hubs also love their chicken, I save lots of chicken bones and Parmesan rinds to add to stocks.
Here are some more stock tips and a simple recipe I like to follow.
5. Freeze it
I love my freezer. Like looooove it! My lovely freezer keeps so many things fresh and ready for another day. It also helps us to cut costs on buying quality meats and poultry. I could probably write a whole post on how much I adore my freezer but lets leave that for another day.
Just know that freezing foods is an incredibly easy way to reduce food and save money. Here are some things I like to freeze: breads, tortillas, leftover pasta sauces, veggie purees, bones and veggie scraps for stock, grass-fed beef and organic chicken, summer canned jams, cookie dough, fruits/veggies for smoothies, stock, leftover cake, and cooked rice/grains.
6. Composting
Although we don’t have a garden in our new house yet (hopefully this year), we still compost. We recently found out that our neighborhood has a compost drop off site which makes it easy to compost! It’s a great feeling knowing we are reducing what goes in the trash and also contributing to local veggie gardens with our food scraps.
Check out your neighborhood to see if composting is an option or try one of these other options for reusing compost if you don’t garden! Otherwise, check out this article on how to compost and reuse it in your own garden.
7. Eat leftovers
This is a no brain-er but so important. Roughly 95% of the food we throw away ends up in landfills. That’s 35 million lbs of food each year, or an estimated $165 million dollars worth. At a family level, roughly $2,200 dollar worth of food is thrown away each year in this country.
Although those may seem like distant stats, we all contribute to it and can help reduce those numbers by the simple act of not throwing away good food and eating leftovers. Personally I feel so lucky to be able to eat and buy what I want, when I want it, so why waste it.
8. Discarded citrus peels smell nice
A simple way to reuse citrus peels is by covering them in white vinegar in a glass jar, waiting 2 weeks, straining out the liquid, and ta-DA you have a yummy smelling all-natural non-toxic cleaning solution.
9. Meatless meals 2-3 times a week
I’m a big proponent of eating less meat! Eating meat requires a lot of land, fossil fuels, and water to raise, so by eating meatless a few days a week we our footprint. Plus for me it’s also about hurting animals.
This is where food recipe sites and food blogs are so helpful! They help me find creative meatless meals that my family will love! There are so many great meatless recipes out there that even the biggest meat lovers (ahem… my hub and toddler) will love!
10. Goodbye plastic grocery bags and bottles
I really wish plastic bag and plastic bottles were just banned all together. Reusable bags and bottles are such an easy way to make in impact. I try to always use reusable bags when I shop or if I forget, I simply pack my diaper bag or the car with groceries.
Additionally each person in my family has their own reusable water bottle and reusable travel cup for hot liquids. This means no more throwing away plastic cups and bottles.
There it is. Simple everyday things to help reduce waste. And for us this is an ongoing effort, we are always looking for new was to waste less! Any thoughts or ideas? What things do you do to reduce waste in your life? I’d love to know.
Originally posted 2018-03-01 10:53:00.
Dan Albing says
Valerie says