Hey earth muffins! Food waste is a huge issue in the modern age. While people all over the world are starving, many first world countries throw away a crazy amount of food… You might think this is a problem for other people, but I can guarantee you are guilty of it as well – we all are! Even if you care enough to read about how to reduce your food waste, you might still find youself with wasted food in the kitchen. In today’s post, I wanted to share a great food waste management tool that I have been using for quite some time now – an “Eat Me First” box. Let’s jump right into the DIY!
What is an “Eat Me First” Box?
In the simplest of terms, this box is a daily visual reminder to reduce your food waste. It doesn’t even need to be a box – it can be a bowl, a shelf in your fridge or pantry, or a bag. Many people aren’t aware of the foods in their kitchen that are almost expired/going bad. This is because they are often spread out throughout the fridge and pantry. Unfortunately, this leads to wasted food. I know I definitely have had to throw away food because I forgot it was there! Once all of this food is in one location, you can get in the habit of choosing it first. This is an amazing food waste management tool because you will reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away to the landfill. Plus, it is super easy to make!
What You Need:
-Some sort of box. Like I mentioned above, this doesn’t actually need to be a box and can be anything from a mason jar to a basket to a shelf in your fridge.
-Food that is almost going bad. Examples include bananas that are almost brown, bulk food nearing its expiration date, etc.
What to Do:
First, figure out what to use for your box. Get creative! Find something from around the house or hit up some local secondhand stores to find something that will work. I personally found a huge vintage spaghetti bowl to use for this DIY food waste management project.
If you want, decorate the box! This is helpful for anyone with kids, as some fun decorations get them excited to eat whatever is inside. It might be useful to create an “Eat Me First” sign to attach to the box as well. Use art supplies you already have in the house for decorating. I suggest avoiding things like glitter that are not sustainable (and get everywhere!).
Once the box is finished, find a place to put it. I suggest a shelf in the fridge that is accessible to all members of your family. Or you can place it on a similar shelf in the pantry. Or even both if you make two boxes!
Fill the box with food that is almost going bad. This can be anything from leftovers to fruit that is almost too ripe or rotten. Anything goes! Make it a practice to choose food from this box first before selecting something else from the kitchen. This ensures your food waste will be less, which is awesome!
If you still end up with some food waste, no worries. You have at least made some effort to reduce it! If you compost, place the food waste in the compost bin to naturally break down. Last resort, throw the food into the trash.
Final Thoughts on this DIY
I highly recommend making an “Eat Me First” box for your kitchen, as it is an effective food waste management tool! It is easy to get into the habit of eating from the box first before eating other foods. Plus, it is much easier than composting if you have been trying to think of a way to divert your food waste from heading to the landfill. Don’t be disappointed if you still find yourself creating waste even with this box – keep up the great work and you will see small improvements over time! Do you have an “Eat Me First” box in your kitchen? Comment below your thoughts and what you think of this DIY!
Love,
Jenna ♥
Okay, this is SUCH a smart idea, and I am 100% going to do this. Sometimes my husband and I forget about certain things in the fridge and they end up being wasted. This is a much better solution!