How To Reduce Food Waste

In Canada, an estimated $31 billion worth of food ends up in landfills and composting every year, creating greenhouse gases.¹ Food is wasted at various stages of the supply chain, but consumers are the largest contributors to food waste, as 47% of waste is from domestic sources.¹ Every one of us can make a significant difference by adopting new strategies or simply by changing some of the things we do on daily basis.

Shop smart.

Planning your meals ahead not only saves you time and money, but also helps reduce food waste. Look in the fridge, freezer, and pantry to plan meals with what you already have on hand. Then, plan to prepare meals with food that is closest to expiration date to avoid waste. Finally, make a grocery list indicating the quantities of the ingredients you’ll need; this way, you’ll avoid buying more than what you expect to use.

Store food properly.

Learning how to store different foods can drastically reduce food waste. For example, proper storage of fruit and vegetables can prevent them from ripening or rotting faster. Also, rotating what’s in your fridge is important to ensure current expiration dates are closer to the front and will be used first. For general tips on food storage, visit this website: goo.gl/3bdLY9

Freeze extras.

Freezing food is a great way to preserve it and cut down on waste. If you have leftovers that you know you won’t be able to eat, store them in the freezer. It delays spoilage and prevents microorganisms from developing.

Donate.

Before throwing away extra food, look into local food banks where you can give away meals that you know you won’t be consuming before they go bad. By donating, you are feeding people, supporting local communities, and preventing food waste.

Jennifer Mikhael, P.Dt., nutritionist for Zero Diet

The Zero Diet brand is first and foremost the conviction that healthy eating is a primary factor to attaining a healthy weight and a balanced lifestyle. Thus, we offer nutrition counselling with nutritionists who are members of the OPDQ with our Zero Diet nutrition program in our centers and in companies. We have also developed a healthy frozen food product line that fulfills rigorous nutritional criteria as well as two healthy Zero Diet cookbooks.

Reference:
(1) Gooch, M., Felfel, A., & Glasbey, C. (2014, December) Food Waste in Canada – $27 Billion Revisited.
Value Chain Management Center. Retrieved from http://vcm-international.com/new-report-annual-food-waste-in-canada-is-31-billion/

Photo Credit: Stock Snap

How To Reduce Food Waste is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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