It’s a common occurrence: you make a meal, prepare a dinner, or even order takeout and, inevitably, you end up with leftovers. So, you do the smart thing: you pack them up, put them in the fridge…and then what? You probably end up throwing them away. Unused groceries, leftover meals, and more often get tossed, which hurts the environment and your wallet. You can have the best of intentions when it comes to reusing or repurposing your leftovers or about-to-go-bad ingredients, but chances are they’ll end up in the trash. Instead, why not try to combat food waste with creative ideas and quick fixes that’ll save you time and money? Read on to discover more about wasted foods and learn how you can shop smarter in our stores.
Top Reasons People Toss Unused Food
1. It Goes Bad (or Looks Bad)
Sometimes life gets in the way and we can’t use our food items before they spoil. The extra lettuce we had turns to mush before we can use it in our next salad recipe, or the cheese we forgot in the back of the fridge grows mold before it can be on our table. This food, while spoiled, still accounts for food waste.
2. Forgetfulness
Our fridge can be a crowded place! We might pack up extra food leftover from a meal only to completely forget about it once it’s out of sight! Many households have a lot of things going on at all times, and it can be difficult to remember that you already have a meal ready and waiting for you to enjoy for lunch or dinner the next day. Sometimes, it’s too late by the time you remember, and the food gets thrown out.
3. Don’t Like Leftovers
Many people enjoy variety when it comes to their meals. With so much delicious food at our fingertips, it can be unappetizing to eat the same thing more than two days in a row. Leftovers have a bad rep for not being as delicious as their “fresher” counterparts, which contributes to wasted food.
The Most Wasted Food Items
Potatoes
Did you know that every single day, Canadians waste 2.4 million potatoes? It’s pretty astonishing, especially since this root veggie has a nice, long shelf life of 3-5 weeks in the pantry or 3-4 months in the fridge. Store them away from onions to reduce sprouting.
Quick Fix: Bake and grate potatoes, store them in an airtight container, and freeze them for ready-to-go hashbrowns! You can also use raw potato to absorb the saltiness in an oversalted soup or stew.
Try This Recipe: Irish Potato Cake and Smoked Salmon Canapés
Bread
Bread is frequently wasted in Canadian households because consumers buy too much, and then allow it to go stale or grow mold. (Don’t keep your bread in the fridge, as moisture speeds up this process!).
Quick Fix: Freeze your bread! Frozen bread can be kept for a while, with only a slice or two removed at a time as needed. Stuck with dry bread? Use it to make breadcrumbs, croutons, or French toast!
Try This Recipe: Eggnog French Toast
Rice
Rice, like pasta, is rarely measured properly when cooking, leading to inevitable leftovers. Fortunately, leftover rice can be used in plenty of delicious ways—sometimes, it’s even exactly what a recipe calls for!
Quick Fix: Try using leftover rice in fried rice dishes, as a hearty addition to clear soup recipes, or as the base of a rice bowl.
Try This Recipe: Green Vegetable Rice
Bananas
Bananas overripen fairly quickly, especially in warmer temperatures. Rather than choosing a bunch of bananas the next time you’re visiting your local Farm Boy, choose a few single bananas at varying degrees of ripeness.
Quick Fix: Chop and freeze overripe bananas for an easy smoothie or “nice cream” recipe, or use them in your favourite banana bread, muffin, or pancake recipe.
Try This Recipe: Banana Pancakes with Banana Caramel Sauce
Apples
Apples are a popular fruit—but they’re also a popular source of food waste, with Canadians tossing over 1.2 million apples per day! Keep apples fresh and delicious by storing them in the crisper drawer of your fridge.
Quick Fix: Softer apples are perfect for homemade applesauce, crisps, and crumbles! If you’re peeling your apples, keep the peels and add them to boiling water with some cinnamon sticks for a warm, autumnal cup of apple tea.
Try This Recipe: Almond Apple Cranberry Crumble
Leafy Greens
Who hasn’t bought a gigantic amount of spinach or kale, only to leave them to rot in the crisper? Prevent premature wilting and reduce excess moisture by wrapping your greens in a moist towel or cloth.
Quick Fix: Throw wilted (but not rotten) greens into a smoothie or soup for an added nutritional boost. You can also use them in a homemade pesto recipe, with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, parmesan, and walnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds.
Try This Recipe: Chicken Soup with Mushrooms and Asian Greens
Milk
Milk can be a tricky food item. You certainly don’t want to consume it once it’s spoiled! However, if you’re finding yourself with extra milk and you’re not one to pour a glass to drink, the freezer is your friend.
Quick Fix: Freeze extra milk in ice cube trays and use them for a quick and creamy milkshake with your favourite ice cream and frozen fruit! (Those frozen bananas come in handy here, too!)
Try This Recipe: Cookies and Coconut Vanilla Milkshake
Cheese
Cheese can last a long time if stored correctly, but plenty of cheese gets thrown out. While mold can be cut off hard cheese, it’s not safe to eat soft cheese that has grown mold, as it can penetrate throughout the cheese.
Quick Fix: Freeze your cheese! Frozen cheese can keep for a maximum of six months. If you’re planning to use grated cheese, grate it beforehand, portion it into small containers or freezer bags, and pop it in the freezer. Hard cheeses are the best type to freeze as they maintain their texture better.
Try This Recipe: Cheesy Breakfast Egg Bites with Prosciutto and Pesto
How To Rescue Wasted Foods
Understand Expiration Labels
Most of the dates you see on packaged foods are not, in fact, expiration dates, but are actually “best before” dates. This means that the food after the best before date may decrease in taste, quality, and nutrition, but not safety. Use your senses—does it smell bad or have visible spoilage?—to help determine the safety of the food you’re about to toss. Many people throw out food that’s a day or two past its best before date when it’s still perfectly good and safe to consume.
Learn Proper Storage
Fruits and veggies can frequently go bad before you’re ready to use them. Combat this wasted food by learning proper storage tips and choosing multiples of the same items at varied points of ripeness. Store ethylene-gas producing fruits like apples, bananas, and stone fruits away from others, as they can speed up ripening. Don’t wash berries, cherries, or grapes until you’re ready to enjoy them, as the moisture contributes to spoilage. Don’t store milk or eggs in the door of your fridge, as this is the warmest part of the fridge. Reserve that spot for condiments.
Freeze
Freezing your food is an excellent way to prolong its life. Within the most wasted food items we mentioned above, many of them can be saved with a little help from the freezer. Even fully-prepared items like spaghetti sauces, pastas, and stews can be popped in the freezer to be reheated and enjoyed later on. Be sure to label when these items should be used by so they don’t end up a forgotten frozen artifact. If you have the space, package them in individual portions for an easier grab-and-go option during busy weeks.
Meal Plan and Prep
Meal planning isn’t just a way to eliminate the age-old “what’s for dinner” question—it can also help you budget, reduce food waste, and lead to more nutritious, wholesome meals! Start a routine by planning your meals on the same day every week. Make a list of what items you’ll need for these meals and prep them accordingly. This way, you won’t be stuck with surplus food that gets tossed and you can save money by using similar items in different, delicious ways.
Give Leftovers New Life
We know, not a lot of people enjoy eating leftovers. However, there are plenty of options to repurpose your leftovers into something new and delicious. Transform leftover spaghetti sauce into a yummy lasagna filling. Extra rotisserie chicken can be tossed into a soup or salad or used for fajitas. Just because you’ve had them one way the first time doesn’t mean you have to be stuck doing the same thing the second time around!
Reducing food waste benefits everyone on a local and global scale. Learn more about organizations working to reduce food waste and combat food insecurity at our blog Foodies Fighting Hunger.
