May 21^st is National Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day! As we celebrate these delicious and nutritious food groups, we also need to remember to be mindful of our consumption habits. Fruits and vegetables account for over 1/3 of total food waste, making them the most wasted foods globally. In households, fruits and vegetables make up around 40% of food waste. Most of this food waste occurs at the consumption level due to poor storage, over-purchasing, and spoilage. While fruits and vegetables are highly perishable foods, much of this waste is avoidable with better practices. We spoke with Chef Dawn Sieber and Chef and Registered Dietitian Gina Cousineau to learn more about the steps they take in their work to reduce fruit and vegetable waste.

Let’s Hear From Our Experts – First up, Chef Dawn

What choices do you make in your kitchen regarding fruits & vegetables to help reduce food waste that families could implement in their homes?

Planning is essential. If possible, plan menus a week ahead and build a list of favorites that include cross-utilization of foods. This is so you can build a shopping list that makes sense and will fit your refrigerator and schedule. I have found several phone apps that help me do this at home. It can be fun to include family by sharing the app. I plan my shopping and pre-prep with my work schedule to conserve time. This is a very important part of planning in commercial food service, and it also applies to the home environment.

Are there specific prep techniques that help keep produce fresher for longer? 

I always store potatoes/onions/ginger/garlic in a cool, dark, open space in a basket or wooden bowl with air flow. I separate the ethylene-producers in my fridge bins at the bottom of my home fridge without overcrowding. I have found that keeping the air flowing tends to help — tightly covered containers appear to encourage mold growth. Vegetable storage bags work well, allowing some air flow.  Commercially, we use a similar method, but also have the advantage of a food-safe antimicrobial vegetable and fruit wash that seems to extend shelf life. I will “blanch and shock” vegetables such as carrots and zucchini (e.g., hot boiling water or microwave, partially pre-cook, then ice-water “shock” to stop the cooking) that are nearing the end of their fridge life. And then spread them out on a tray, freeze, bag them, and put them back in my freezer for future use. Another tip — Onions are good caramelized in a small amount of canola oil and frozen in small portion containers for pizza or sauce.

What are 2–3 common fruit or vegetable “scraps” you see most home cooks throw away that are delicious if prepared correctly?

Most common food scraps I see wasted are what the French refer to as “mirepoix”: celery, carrot, onion, parsley stems, leek greens, fennel fronds, and tomato. All of these can be made into nutritious, delicious vegetable or bone broths, frozen in portion containers, and used in a wide variety of recipes, including soups, stocks, and sauces, and especially in place of water for casseroles and other cooking methods.

For families that find themselves wasting fruits & vegetables often, are there specific fruits/vegetables that are less prone to spoiling that you would recommend these families purchase?

Produce less prone to spoiling seems to be related to seasonality — choosing what’s fresher and locally grown.

What are some common mistakes you see individuals make regarding fruit and vegetable preparation, shopping, or storage?

As a professional chef, I have always been “vegetable forward” as a cook. I believe in a nutritious fruit and vegetable approach. The most difficult part for me is trying not to over-purchase fresh, beautiful fruits and vegetables, especially when I shop when I’m hungry. Therefore, my advice — eat before shopping! Also, plan and stick with your list, allowing one or 2 extras that look good in the produce aisle or at the farmers market. Stop and take a minute before impulse-buying an apple, for example, and ask yourself how much prep time and how you plan to use it (apple pie, cut up as a snack, in a salad?). This only takes a second. Also, it’s okay to purchase some pre-cuts if your prep time is limited.

Any additional tips/tricks you think would be helpful for home cooks to implement in their kitchens to reduce food waste?

I believe we are all striving for family time and downtime in this world. I like to think of cultivating family relationships and friendships by sharing best practices and tips, and sharing a meal, even if only a bowl of chili. Give a quart or two of extra chili to a neighbor to help them save time if you make a big batch. There’s always composting, home-canning/preserving, and saving seeds for a community or home garden; these practices also build relationships and create opportunities.

What are the choices you make in your kitchen regarding fruits & vegetables to help reduce food waste that families could implement in their homes?

A food/meal plan is paramount to reducing food waste. Knowing which meals/recipes will be prepared will reduce the number of random purchases that will go unused.

When shopping for frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables, what should consumers be looking for to ensure they are getting the highest nutritional value while still prioritizing shelf-life?

In all cases, I suggest buying no-sodium or low-sodium vegetables to minimize sodium consumption. Same with no-added-sugar options for fruits. Also, buying fruits and vegetables without added ingredients, such as sauces, syrups, etc., is a good choice. I recently watched a webinar put on by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Culinary Professional Practice Group. It highlighted the value of canned produce, being packed at the height of freshness and nutritional value, and how we can support U.S. farmers by buying domestic canned fruits and vegetables. The cans with pull tabs are blue and red, indicating USA made.

During grocery shopping, what is the most common “pitfall” you see shoppers make that inevitably leads to food waste by the end of the week? 

Random purchases, not sticking to the shopping list.

For families that find themselves wasting fruits & vegetables often, are there specific starting-point strategies you would recommend these families implement?

Again, I think a meal plan is paramount to limit food waste.  Having recipes, a theme for meals, etc., will help with the shopping list, then of course sticking to the list.

What are your best tips for the storage of fruits and vegetables to help reduce food waste in the household? 

The refrigerator is the best friend for helping preserve the life of produce. Keeping produce organized and separated from each other. Labeling clear plastic bags is useful for knowing exactly what you have. Store potatoes and onions away from one another in a cool, dry place, cabinet, or pantry. Allow pears, peaches, and similar stone fruit to ripen on the counter, then refrigerate to hold. As soon as bananas start to spot, I peel and put them into the freezer on a plate until they are frozen, then bag them. Frozen bananas with nut butter make a fantastic snack!

Any additional tips/tricks/or resources you think would be helpful for households to implement in their kitchens to reduce food waste?

Most produce can stay good for a long time. While moldy foods should be composted, even limp produce still provides nutritional value and would make a great soup/stew/casserole. If time is short, buy precut items. AI is so useful today if you have ingredients and have no idea what to do with them. And use the freezer. Limit leftovers to 5 days in the refrigerator. Then, portion for individual servings and label storage containers before freezing. My clients and I call these “bonus meals” rather than leftovers. And compost all food minus bones, if you can. It is good for the environment.

Conclusion

National Fruits and Vegetable Day is a reminder that these foods are nutritionally important – and taste great, but too many times they end in the trash! The insights from Chefs Dawn and Gina help us make the most of these foods so they nourish us and not feed the landfill (or the compost pile)! While the globe works together to find ways to conserve food and reduce our waste, a great place to start is with the #1 most-wasted food group. Whether you choose to store your produce more thoughtfully, begin meal planning for your family, purchase more canned/frozen/dried no-added-sugar and low-sodium fruits and vegetables, or simply decide to eat before grocery shopping to avoid over-purchasing, using Chef Dawn and Chef Gina’s tips can help you become part of the solution!

Final note….check out our Resource Library to select practical, easy-to-use tools that will work for you to help you put the chef’s suggestions into practice!