Arguments

A)     Shop Wisely

Preventing food waste actually starts right at the grocery store. By making shopping lists, we can actually plan out what we need to buy, and that helps us to not get distracted by the things that we don’t need, like that new flavor of Doritos, and make impulse buys.

By planning out what we need, we can also determine how much of it is going to be used at a time. This means that we are able to make bulk buys, which allows us to not only save money, but also prevents that need for an emergency trip to the grocery store because you don’t have enough of a certain ingredient for a certain dish.

You can also measure out what to buy in bulk for perishable and nonperishable items. You want to buy just enough for perishable items, so that the food doesn't end up getting wasted by just going bad in your fridge-simply because you bought too much. And you also want to hold back on the nonperishable items as well-you only have so much space, and you don’t want to buy too much too quickly-just to have the products overrun your pantry.

Finally, buy “funny fruit”. These are the little fruits and vegetable that are wasted and thrown out just because they have a little bit of an irregular shape, even though they are perfectly fine. By buying these products, you make sure that if no one else does buy them, at least the grocery stores won’t be throwing them away.

B)     Pre-planning Meals.

You can also plan a “weekly menu”, in which you and your family plan out the meals for the week. This will help you to make sure that each of these are meals that everyone will actually eat-and not just push around the plate.

For example, if no one really likes cauliflower, then make you should put a hold on that caramelized cauliflower soup you were planning on making. This will result in fewer leftovers that end up going bad that you have to throw away in the end. You should also note down when everyone plans to eat out, just so there’s not a whole extra serving when it comes to cooking.

Pre-planning meals will also help with the whole ‘Shopping Wisely’ things as well, because you will have a much more comprehensive shopping list if the entire week is planned out for you.

Dividing the food into the correct portions for each meal will also help you in the long run-just saving you time and wastefulness in the future.

Finally, make sure that you store all of your food correctly and efficiently. Meats, breads, and nuts need to be frozen in order not to spoil. Most fruits and vegetable also keep better if they are stored in the fridge correctly.

C)     Eat Leftovers/Compost/Donate

So even after you have planned and measure out, you still have food left after everybody is finished eating. Now what do we do?

EAT YOUR LEFTOVERS. Always freeze your food immediately after you’ve had enough so that you can eat it at a different time. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that a typical American throws out 40% of fresh fish, 23% of eggs, and 20% of milk. But also make sure that you get around to eating it, instead of just forgetting about it and letting it rot in your fridge for weeks.

Making an effort to compost is also a great idea. It allows you to reduce your climate impact and recycle the nutrients of the food. This will also prevent the food from ending up in a landfills, and we all know that contributing to landfills helps absolutely no one. Food actually makes up almost 13% of the U.S. waste stream, as well an even higher percent of landfill caused methane.

Finally, donate your food. Nonperishable items like canned foods can be donated to several different places, like local food banks, soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters. There are several different programs to accommodate what you have to give. Remember that there are always people more needy than you, and by donating the food you don’t eat, you are not only reducing wastefulness, but also giving back to the community (as well as receiving tax benefits).