Tips for Minimizing Food Waste During the Holidays
Guest Post by Environmental Program Manager Natalie Yee
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Columbia Association (CA), and we’re proud to have a community that cares about being good stewards of the environment. The holidays can present extra challenges in this department, so this month’s blog is focused on a resource that’s likely to go to waste during this time of year: food.
Across the country, it’s estimated that 40% of the food we produce is never eaten — so it’s no wonder that food is the biggest type of material in our landfills. By helping to limit food waste, you can save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Tips for minimizing food waste
What’s the big deal about food waste? For one, there’s a ton of natural resources (land, water, energy, etc.) that go into producing, processing and transporting food before it even gets to your kitchen. If the food is wasted, the resources it took to become food is wasted as well.
Additionally, the decomposition of food can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. This means that being mindful about reducing food waste, especially during the holidays, is a simple way to help combat climate change.
Planning and shopping
-
- Know the ingredients you already have to avoid buying duplicates.
- Plan your meals before you shop.
- Be realistic about what will actually get used.
- Consider how much an item contributes to a meal to help make smarter decisions (in terms of buying in bulk, buying a single ingredient or using a substitute that you already have). It’s also helpful to plan meals that will have crossover between ingredients.
- Purchase imperfect produce. They may look less ideal, but can still be just as safe and nutritious.
Cooking
-
-
- Food that is past “its prime” may still be usable. For instance, it can be repurposed for soup, smoothie, sauce, stir fry or other dish.
- Keep an eye on whether a product says “sell by”, “use by” or “best by.” These are different estimates used for food safety, but they may not be the end-all be-all. Learn more about these food safety guidelines here.
- Get creative! Stale bread can be turned into homemade croutons, carrot tops can be blended into a pesto, and veggie scraps can be used to make soup stock.
- Aim to cook and serve the right portion for the number of people you’re serving. This helps reduce the potential for uneaten leftovers.
-
Storing
-
- Take care of different fruit and vegetable needs to maximize freshness.
- Some fruits such as bananas, apples, pears and avocados release ethylene as they ripen, causing other produce to ripen faster. Store these away from other produce.
- To prevent mold, wait to wash berries, cherries and grapes until right before you eat them.
- Produce such as potatoes, winter squash, onions and garlic should be stored in a cool, dry and dark area.
- To help slow the rate that food spoils, properly store food in airtight containers.
- The freezer is your friend! If you don’t have time to eat it, don’t be afraid to freeze food.
- Take care of different fruit and vegetable needs to maximize freshness.
Divert it from landfills
-
- Composting is a great way to recycle food scraps and manage your waste more sustainably.
- If you have a surplus of untouched and unopened foods, consider donating it to a local food bank (such as the Howard County Food Bank) so that it goes to people in the community who need it the most.
To learn more about sustainability initiatives at CA, click here. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.