Hey earth muffins! If you have been following this blog for a while now, you will know that I have quite the mason jar collection. It is super easy to opt for glass containers in the kitchen to avoid pesky plastics. When I tell people that I store food in the freezer in mason jars, they are often surprised that you can do that. And you definitely can! In today’s post I will be sharing all the secrets on how to successfully freeze food in glass!
Can You Actually Freeze in Glass Jars??
Yes! As I mentioned above, I have very few non-glass containers in my kitchen. Mason jars are a great tool to prevent food waste in the kitchen by popping leftovers into the freezer. Unlike plastic, glass can crack (and even shatter) if it goes from hot to cold or cold to hot too quickly. While you can obviously freeze glass jars, it is important to follow these tips to ensure none of your jars break.
Hey earth muffins! A great way to reduce food waste it to get yourself a compost bin. If you own a house, condo, or apartment with outside space, there is really no reason to not have some sort of bin. When I purchased my house in December, one of the first things I purchased was this compost bin… And I have been using (and loving) it ever since. Today I will be sharing my thoughts on this compost product to convince you all to start using it as well! 😉
What Compost Bin Did I Buy?
After doing a search of all the backyard compost options, I decided on the IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter from Amazon (affiliate link). It was the bin with the most reviews (almost 15,000 of them!); so, I figured it had been tried out by many other people. The price point is about $100, with it often being on sale for around $80. Because it isn’t as expensive as other bins, I thought it would be a good place to start since I was new to backyard composting.
Hey earth muffins! I always seem to find myself doing more baking during the summer months. While I cook meals for myself almost every day, the summertime always makes me crave fun, home-baked goodies. With all this extra cooking, I find myself with more fruit and veggie scraps. And it is important to utilize these instead of just throwing them into the trash! Food waste is a huge environmental issue, so here are five unique ways to use up those fruit and veggie scraps! 🥕 🥦 🍅
1. Make a “zero waste” recipe
The best way to reduce food waste is to cook/bake with a zero waste mentality – nothing (or almost nothing) will end up in the trash. If your recipe calls for peeled potatos, maybe leave the skins on. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables where the peel is actually delicious and nutritious! I was surprised to learn recently that you can even eat the fuzzy skin of a kiwi. If you search for zero waste recipes on Pinterest, there are plenty of options to choose from (like carrot top pesto)!
Hey earth muffins! One of the easiest ways to reduce your impact on the planet is to be mindful of the waste you create in the kitchen. Yes, that’s right – I’m talking about food waste today! Why is this a great place to start?? Because it can lead to HUGE results. Like I mentioned in my how to reduce food waste post, one third of the food produced in the world is wasted… Which is such a waste! I absolutely love to cook, so I’ve gotten into some great habits since starting my eco journey. Hopefully these help you all reduce food waste in the kitchen as well!
~Cook the right portion sizes.
If you want to save time, money, AND the planet, start being more mindful about portion size. I used to prepare way too much food when I cooked. I’m sure you all are guilty of just “making the whole box of pasta” at times too. Doing this is often easier in the moment because you think you will eat it later… But a ton of leftovers isn’t the best idea. To be more eco-friendly, I recommend only preparing what you know you (and your family) will eat. I’m not saying serve smaller portion sizes by any means – cook as much as you want to eat!
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.
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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!
Hey earth muffins! A few weeks ago I got an email from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) regarding a Food Matters Action Kit that they launched in September. This kit contains activities for kids and youth centered around spreading awareness of food waste. Such a great idea! 😍 As many holidays are coming up (especially Thanksgiving next week!), I thought I would share their tips on how to reduce food waste in your home. While these tips are important to think about always, they are especially important to think about with holidays centered around food.
Why is Food Waste so Important?
For starters, ONE THIRD of the food produced in the world is wasted. 😦 This statistic absolutely blew my mind – that’s so much food that could be utilized. This wasted food produces about 193 million tons of greenhouse gases; that’s the same amount as driving 41 million cars continuously throughout the year! So, it’s clear that wasted food is definitely a problem… What can you do to reduce it?
1. Plan out your meals
Instead of hitting up the grocery store and buying what looks good, plan out your meals for the week! I personally do this every single Sunday. 😊 My boyfriend and I have a cute menu letterboard in our kitchen, which also helps us keep to our planned out meals. If you don’t want to plan out all three meals each day, just try doing dinner. For lunches I usually just eat leftovers from the night before anyway, so that works out really well!
2. Shop your kitchen BEFORE the store
After you plan out your meals for the week, look through your fridge/freezer/pantry before going to the store. You might be surprised at what you already have in the cupboards! If you notice that there are things in the pantry or fridge close to their expiration date, try incorporating them into some of the meals this week.
3. Throw as little food waste in the trash as possible!
When food gets trashed, it ends up in the landfill. Instead of breaking down and producing carbon dioxide, it will create methane. Methane is 25% more potent than CO2, so it is best to avoid it as much as possible!
4. Compost instead
Composting your food is a great alternative to throwing it in the trash. Even if you live in an apartment, there are still ways that you can compost. I personally pay for a composting service to pick up my compost twice a month; I honestly can’t believe how full the bucket gets sometimes. It definitely makes me realize that food waste is a problem that many don’t even think about.
5. Keep organized
Make sure your fridge/freezer/pantry is organized and accessible. This helps you know what you already have in the kitchen. I’m sure you’ve seen someone’s fridge that is a complete disaster, so don’t be like that! 😅 Keeping organized also helps with meal planning and making lists for the grocery store.
6. Share food
If you end up having extra food, share it with others (be safe with Mister Corona though)! Take some to work, share on sustainable apps like Olio, drop off at a friend’s house, etc. Again, make sure that you are throwing away as little food as possible!
7. Use your freezer!
This is one of my favorite ways to reduce food waste. If my boyfriend and I cook something that results in a few extra servings, I will freeze them in mason jars. When I need a quick WFH lunch, I’ll pull something out. I also like to utilize my freezer for saving fruits that are about to go bad. They are perfect for smoothies! Pro tip: when freezing cut fruits/vegetables, freeze them on a baking tray first. This makes them freeze individually so when you put them into a jar you can still pull out the exact portion you want. 😍
8. Learn creative cooking
When looking at the food already in your kitchen, you might be confused on what you can make with certain ingredients. Now is the time to learn how to cook with unique items! Scour Pinterest for new recipe ideas or put the ingredients into Supercook to get personalized recipes. Get out your creativity!
9. Rescue food
Don’t let perfectly good food go to waste! If you see marked down food at the grocery store because the expiration date is coming up, pick that first. Buy single bananas and stick them in the freezer. If you see food nearby on Olio, take it (if you need it of course!). Shop at food “thrift” stores if you have them nearby; I personally love my Aunt Millie’s bakery thrift store. 😀 There are so many great ways to rescue food!!
10. Spread the word
If you are interested in sharing fun and informative food waste activites, I highly suggest checking out the CEC’s Food Matters Action Kit. It has so many great facts inside! Regardless if you use the kit or not, it is important to spread awareness on food waste this holiday season. I hope you put some of these tips into practice next week and share them with your friends and family. 🌎❤️
