Food is the No.1 item Americans throw away.
Most food waste – about 43 percent nationwide – is created at home.
Preventing wasted food at home saves money, conserves resources, reduces waste, and can help feed those in need in your community.
Download: A Guide for Reducing Food Waste at Home
Ten Easy Actions to Reduce Food Waste at Home
- Plan meals for the week. Make a list of what you need.
- Shop your pantry and refrigerator before going to the grocery store. Once you’re there, stick to the list.
- Practice FIFO or “First In, First Out.” When returning home from the grocery store, place the newer items behind the older items. This food storage method helps avoid spoilage and ensure that older items are used and not wasted.
- Organize the refrigerator. Understand the sections of your fridge and how they are designed to keep food fresh longer. Did you know the bottom shelf is the coldest? Or not to store milk and eggs in the door?
- Prep and store food. If you know prep will be too time-consuming for another day, do it as when you get home from the store. Wash, dry, chop, dice, slice, and place fresh foods in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.
- Freeze food that cannot be eaten immediately. Learn how to do it properly.
- Learn what food date labels really mean. (Hint: They’re almost never indicators of food safety.)
- Use leftovers as building blocks for new meals.
- Share the wealth. Extra food? Prepare a meal for a neighbor. Donate safe unwanted food to a foodbank.
- No matter how well you plan, some wasted food is inevitable. Compost at home to divert unwanted food from the landfill and create a nutrient-rich product to feed your garden or flowerbed.