As prices of groceries and other essentials continue to rise, many people are looking for ways to use their resources more efficiently. Re-purposing and reusing items can help prevent waste. Plus, it also helps save money. If you’re looking for ways to reuse foods and reduce what you throw away, a no-waste kitchen is the ultimate goal. In a no-waste kitchen, you find ways to use virtually all food, including scraps, leftovers, and other things that may normally be thrown away. But, going completely no-waste can be very hard. Fortunately, there are some basic steps to take to prevent throwing away perfectly usable food.
Store foods the right way
When food is stored properly, it lasts longer. You may want to learn some long-term storage methods like canning if you want to keep meat and fresh produce longer. Also, many foods can be frozen for longer storage. Consider investing in a vacuum sealer that can be used to store dry goods. When you vacuum seal foods and add oxygen absorbers to the packages, the foods can last much past the best-by date. Just be sure to understand safe food storage to prevent illness.
Re-purpose
Some people just don’t care for leftovers and sometimes you may lose track of what you have. But many leftovers can be repurposed into a different meal. Vegetable scraps and bones can be used to make soups and broth. Additionally, some food scraps like the ends of romaine lettuce, celery, and onion bulbs, can be regrown into new food. Overripe bananas, wilted spinach, and fruits that are too soft to eat can be saved for smoothies or to make fruit bread. Always check for mold before storing foods.
Alternatives to trash
There are some things that you simply can’t or don’t want to eat. But that doesn’t mean they have to be thrown away. Consider keeping a compost bin. If you have a vegetable garden or even a few potted plants, you can use the compost to feed your plants the nutrients they need. You can make your own compost bin or buy a premade one. Composting is very easy and many kitchen scraps are compostable. There’s no need to throw away coffee grounds, egg shells, or produce scraps. If you have backyard chickens, they can eat many food scraps like fruit and vegetable peels. Just be sure to not feed moldy or spoiled food to your poultry as it can make them sick.
A no-waste kitchen may not work for everyone. Sometimes you just have to throw things out when they go bad. But you can find ways to reuse foods or save them for later so they don’t have to be thrown away. In times of high inflation, it’s always helpful to find ways to be responsible with the resources you have. Store foods properly and find ways to use or repurpose scraps. Lastly, consider composting to use food that might be thrown away. Food waste is a huge problem. And it’s one that’s quite easy to solve with a little work.
