Do you ever have this feeling that you could be getting MORE from your food? Maybe a tear rolls down your cheek as you scrape yet more veggie odds and ends into the compost. Or maybe you regularly find rotten something-or-anothers way back in the fridge or crisper… Maybe, you just want to make sure you are really getting the most mileage from your whole food dollars…
I think we can start by taking a lesson from our First Nations brothers and sisters in times past. It is a well known fact, for example, that when an animal was hunted, every single part was used - not only out of necessity but also out of respect (something that is sorely lacking in the industrial food system today).
I often reflect on the fact that First Nations thanked their kill and acknowledged that when they died, they would be part of the very same cycle of life- their bodies would provide nourishment for other animals, insect, bacteria…
If we all acknowledged the sacredness of our food and had some sense of where we fit in to the great cycle of life - would we be ok with so much waste?
Whether you look at it from a spiritual, ecological or practical level, making a few simple changes will not only cut waste in your household- it will save time, money and boost the nutritional value of your meals.
Here are a few ideas:
- Make a meal plan. This is the mother of all steps. If you take some time to do this on, say, Sunday morning, your whole week will run more smoothly, you ‘ll know what groceries you need, and HOW you can use up all your leftovers. Guaranteed. You can even print off this free one. From us. You’re welcome!
- Zest your limes and lemons before juicing them. I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me time and heartache when making a meal that calls for zest. I just have a designated ‘zest’ jar in the freezer and keep adding to it.
- Keep a bag of veggie ‘odds n’ ends’ (the stuff you would usually compost) in the fridge or freezer to make broth whenever you need.
- Herbs about to go bad? Dry (dehydrate) or wash, chop and throw in the freezer for later.
- Freeze milk. If it’s getting close to the due date and you think you might not be able to drink it in time, freeze it and save it for baking later.
- Learn a food preservation skill like fermentation which allows you to preserve food (such as any assortment of veggies you have in the fridge) that may be on their last legs. It is fast, easy and will introduce beneficial probiotics into your diet.
- Learn how to cook/use all the parts of vegetables. Did you know you can eat carrot tops? Or that beet tops are delicious sauteed? Or that broccoli stalks can be peeled and used in stir-frys?
- Save the pulp from juicing. Carrot pulp for example, can be used as great filler in meatballs. Apple pulp can be added to oatmeal or cookies…There are also plenty of recipes for pulp crackers and bread online.
- Look beyond the meat! Use as many parts of the animal as possible. Chicken skin can be made into chips. Feet, hocks, bones, etc can be used for broth. Homemade bone broth is a healing, nutrient-dense food. We often use one chicken to make about 4-6 meals in our house. (Get step-by-step instructions for Domestic Diva’s double duty chicken here.)
Do you have any tips for cutting food waste? Share them in the comments!