Rethink Food Waste: Prep Smarter
Give yourself a little time after getting back from the grocery store to put your food away properly! Learn how to Prep Smarter.
Tip #1: Prep It Now
If you are using your Shop Smarter Menu Plan, you already have an idea of what you have that you can prepare right now. When you get home from the store, wash, dry, chop, dice, slice and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking. Don’t put it off, just do it now.
In this vein, if you prep the food intended for snacking, you will be more likely to reach for those cut and ready to dip carrots rather than the junk in the cupboard. Smart Prep is good for your health, too! Healthy eating is important and highly encouraged. However, I did just learn a very interesting fact that healthy eaters tend to waste more food. Check out this article all about it. If you want all the nitty-gritty, here is the actual scientific paper from How should this be combatted? Smart shopping and smart prep! Have a plan for that healthy produce in your fridge.
Tip #2: Batch cooking
Cut your time spent preparing food each week by batch cooking entire meals ahead of time that can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Try making a big pot of soup and freezing it in individual serving sizes!
Tip #3: What does your family like to eat?
Keep a running list of meals that your household already enjoys. That way, you can easily choose a meal to prepare.
Tip #4: Befriend your freezer!
Rely on your freezer – but remember what you froze. The grease pencil I mentioned last week is great for labeling or you can use tape and a marker! Or you can keep a list on the front of the freezer and easily know what’s in there. This will help you plan meals, save money and reduce waste.
- Label what you put in your freezer.
- Keep a list of what’s in there, too!
- Slice up the rest of that loaf of bread and use it a little bit at a time.
- Chop up the fruit that you don’t have time to eat and put it in the freezer, ready for a smoothie.
Tip #5: Learn to “quick pickle”!
Pickling sounds intimidating, but it’s SO EASY!
- Quick pickled onion recipe from bon apetit
- Curried pickled zucchini recipe from the splendid table
- An easy guide to the quick pickle from the kitchn
Advanced pickling: fermented vegetables!
Already mastered the quick pickle? How about learning to make some sauerkraut or other fermented vegetables?
- Sauerkraut isn’t as hard as you might think
- Kim chi is really just spicy sauerkraut with napa cabbage.
- Try for a fermented hot sauce!