There are many opportunities for households to conserve food. Click on the tabs below to learn about easy ways to start conserving food today!

Meal Planning

  • Map out a meal plan that works for you!
  • Look for ingredients that can be used across multiple dishes.
  • Be a realistic planner! Consider your schedule and events for the week.
  • Use resources like Meal Prep Mate to help!

Shopping

  • Shop your kitchen first! Check what you already have at home as you shop at the store.
  • Make a shopping list and stick to it!
  • Be careful with sales, BOGO offers, and bulk buying – only purchase what you can use before it goes bad.
  • Consider shelf life when buying produce
  • Maintain stock of easy-to-store items (e.g., staples) in case meal plans change

Storage

  • Check your refrigerator and freezer frequently to eat food before it goes bad.
  • Use the “first in, first out” principle to eat foods that have been in storage the longest first.
  • Store food items in clear containers so they don’t get lost in your refrigerator, freezer, or cupboard/pantry.
  • Use resources like Store It or Eat or Toss to make food safety decisions about what food to keep or not.
  • Store foods that need to be eaten asap at eye level so you can be reminded each time you’re looking for food.

Food Prep & Cooking

  • Check out resources like Use-It-Up Recipes to use up perishable ingredients before it is too late.
  • Be creative and use food scraps with ideas from the SaveTheFood Cookbook.
  • Slice produce snacks and store them in visible places so that they become easy snacks and cooking ingredients.
  • Return cold storage foods to the fridge asap so food stays safe and fresh.
  • Adapt recipes so that you use foods you already have or try improv cooking.
  • Cook meal components separately (e.g., grains vs. protein) to allow more options for future use.

Serving

  • Remember, bigger is not necessarily better – serve smaller portions with the option for extra helpings.
  • Plate size may make a difference – switch to smaller plates and bowls for meals and snacks.
  • Listen to your stomach and avoid eating past the point of fullness.
  • Save even small amounts of unserved food. They could be the secret ingredient to your next kitchen masterpiece!
  • Use mindful eating or other practices that help you show gratitude for all the natural resources and people who make each bite possible.

Leftovers

  • Store leftovers in clear containers so you can see what you have.
  • Freeze any leftovers that you cannot use within the next few days. Label the container with the contents and date.
  • Consider having a standing leftovers night each week to make meal planning easier.
  • Upcycle your leftovers into a brand new dish.

Avoid the Landfill

  • Inedible foods? Maybe not – check out creative ways to use food peels, bones, etc.
  • Look for alternate ways to discard food, such as feeding it to pets or composting.
  • Some communities may have food scraps recycling facilities – find one near you here.
  • Consistently have lots of food to compost? Look for ways to decrease this amount.