Reducing Food Waste in the Kitchen

Key Takeaways from Food Recovery for RI

Plan, Plan, Plan.

A good meal plan helps with grocery shopping, and takes the guesswork out of dinner after a long day!

  • Make a meal plan before you go grocery shopping.  Do an inventory of everything you already have at home, and consider how you can use up any remaining perishables. Make sure you're taking commitments or plans into account in your meal plan!
  • While meal planning, consider how ingredients can be applied to multiple meals, or how elements of a first meal can be transformed for a new recipe.
My Meal Planning Template
My Fridge Inventory Template

Build Good Shopping Habits

Make sure you're buying as much as you need, and that you have a plan to use up everything!

  • Look for produce that’s in season, and build your knowledge of what to look for when selecting fresh, long-lasting produce.
  • Plan out your grocery budget, and leverage useful tools to maximize on your dollars! If you’re ready to prep right away, check out apps like Too Good to Go, or the bargain shelf at your local grocery store for ready-to-eat produce that may be ugly or about to turn.

Learn to Love Your Fridge

These useful tips & tricks help to ensure you're using the most important tool in your kitchen well!

  • Consider air flow and temperature distribution when storing items in your fridge. The top of your fridge is the warmest, while the bottom holds the lowest temperatures. Ensure that things like meat are located at the bottom, while the top shelf is great for ready-to-eat items and leftovers.
  • Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C). Check temperatures periodically, and consider purchasing an appliance thermometer to confirm the temperature in your fridge.
  • Use your storage strategy to make must-get-eaten items front of mind and highly visible. Consider making a 'to-be-eaten' inventory for the front of your fridge! 

Feed the Freezer

Use your freezer to its fullest to extend the life of your food and save about-to-go goodies!

  • Get familiar with recipes that allow you to cook once, eat twice, and work to plan around them in your meal plans. Examples: When roasting a chicken, consider what you might make for your next meal with some shredded meat, and save the carcass for great soup stock!
  • If you’re making a big portion of a single recipe, you can plan to freeze a portion or two, but be sure to account for when you’ll eat it in the next few weeks to ensure it doesn’t get lost in the ether!
  • When putting leftovers away, store each element separately to preserve the individual flavors, while making it easier to repurpose specific ingredients into new meals!

Strengthen Your Storage

Be thoughtful about where and how you store your food items - some extra thoughtfulness can extend your shelf life exponentially!

  • Learn the best storage practices for the produce you purchase often.
  • Consider prepping grocery produce right when you get home - that way it will be ready to use the next time you get cooking!
  • Some great starter tips:
    • Carrots and several other root vegetables such as beets, radishes, and turnips do excellent when stored in water. Simply pare off the leaves, add to a container, and cover with cool water, then find them a safe place in the fridge.
    • Tomatoes taste better when left unrefrigerated, but be mindful to use them soon! Store them on their stems to reduce bruising to the fruit, and refrigerate them if they’re about to turn to squeeze out a few more days of potential use.

Salvage Your Scraps

Useful recipes to make use of every part of your food!