Don't Waste Food?

quarterhorseygirl wrote: »

I was raised with, and have always had, the mentality not to let anything go to waste. You eat what's put in front of you, and you don't throw perfectly good food away. Obviously, this can be damaging when trying to avoid eating things when nobody else will. I've spent plenty of time feeling guilty because I'd rather eat something not good for me than watch it get thrown out.

I can't be this way anymore and since I've JUST re-started being more careful with what goes in my mouth, there are items we have that aren't finished yet that I'm going to need to decide what to do about/with. For unopened, still fresh items I know they can be given to someone else or donated, depending on what it is. I'm talking about those oddball things that are still good but maybe not appropriate to give away or donate (recently opened bags of pizza rolls, partially eaten foods, etc.).

There are so many different thoughts I have about this and wouldn't mind some other thoughts on this. I can't be the only one that's faced this part of getting started.

How did you reconcile this sort of thing?

To be honest, I think not letting anything go to waste is a good thing to reach for, but more important is to get yourself on the right track in regards to controlling what you eat. So one big purge, even if some of it ends up in the garbage, is perfectly fine. Then going forward, you can try your best to only buy things you are going to eat, to reduce waste. Some level of waste is always inevitable, so I am a big believe of having some grace with yourself and just doing the best you can, when you can. But I wouldn't harm your progress just so you can feel like you won't be wasteful.

I save bits of meat and veggies which aren't big enough for a meal on their own to add to eggs. I could also freeze them for soup.

If something was lost in the frig and no longer edible, I compost it. I try to avoid this by labeling and not having a stuffed frig.

I just started using this composter. It took my OH about an hour to assemble it: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B077972KCR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



I've previously had the type that don't turn and they take FOREVER. Curious to see how quickly this one composts.

I got some Jobe's Organics Compost Starter to get the process going, but I have composted without it. It was 70% off; couldn't pass that up.

I leave things out for the homeless on a bus stop bench or two near my apt and it doesn't even matter if the package is open or closed. I don't like wasting money and they need the calories more than I do and *I* know it's safe for them to eat at least. That food has yet to stay in one place more than 20 mins after leaving it out.

Ah I was raised the exact same way, along with "what you throw out today, you'll need tomorrow!" The way I've gotten around it is to cut way back on the amounts I cook. You can't waste what you didn't prepare. I cook for two, so my portions are usually just "cut that recipe in half". If it's in the fridge? For us, it's easy. Left overs (that 1/2 of onion or pepper, or the 1/2 pound of meat left over because I didn't break a one pound pack into 2 packs before freezing) become the next day's meal. Works great with veggies, meat, you name it. My last "trick"... if it's going to be hard to not overindulge then don't bring it into the house. OH, and I'll also cook, divide into portions, and freeze what we won't eat that day. I have a suck and seal (read that as FoodSaver or Seal-a-Meal) which SERIOUSLY prevents freezer burn, so my frozen food will stay safe and delish for years. Works for us!

littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »

Can any of it be frozen, wrapped up tightly in the fridge, dry stuff can often be kept sealed up in the cupboard?

Full disclosure - I have a very relaxed attitude to dates on food. If it looks, smells, and tastes ok I will generally eat it.
(Am more cautious with meat/ fish).

If it's stuff you can't leave alone though, I would just ditch it. I no longer keep biscuits in the house!

Ya, I'd forgotten some plain yogurt in the downstairs frig. The Best By date was 4 months ago. Been eating it with no issues. (Fruit on the bottom yogurt doesn't stay good like this IMO.)

I also cooked and ate with no issues some refrigerated biscuit dough that was a few months past its date as well.

I'm with you on being more cautious with meat. https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16787 recommends eating cooked chicken within 3-4 days - I will push it to 5-6 days.

I struggle with this too. To be completely honest, when I go to the grocery store without my wife, it helps a ton!

Plan your meals carefully. We plan leftovers even. Buy a juicer (using the pulp for compost. I've even made dog biscuits out of the fiber). Juicers are great for veggies that are past their prime.

My biggest challenge these days is I've just moved to mesh, reusable produce bags. I'm really trying to avoid all plastic, which is pretty much impossible, but I'm determined to lessen my footprint (especially now that we know most of the plastic ends up in the ocean and recycling is a myth). Leafy produce doesn't keep the best in reusable bags. I'm probably going to have to switch to some of those large vegetable "keeper" bins that stay in your fridge.

When fruit starts getting old, we freeze in bags (need to switch those too to reusable containers). We often have Vegan protein shakes and the older fruit is great in those.

Biggest thing is sticking to your meal plan, by far, for us.

Some waste is inevitable...

But, my wife and I buy what we're going to consume. When we cook, we cook enough for that meal or to have leftovers for lunch in the next day or two. We don't typically have an issue with produce going bad as we eat a lot of it and usually run out before grocery day...but in the event that it looks like things could start to spoil we will make a stew or throw those handful of mushrooms into an omelette, etc. We clean out plates, but what is on our plate is the serving we've allotted ourselves...we don't overfill our plates.

Was our generations because back in the great depression great grandfather/mother could barely scrape up enough food for the whole family someone tossing a whole plate that a sibling who sacrificed theirs so the younger ones/breastfeeding mom could eat larger portions needed it to be able to work. A waste of something as simple as a bone meant no soup for the tiny tots.They even used the skins of lemons/apples/etc cause everything counted. Their kids saw this didn’t think oh depression over we can toss the plate of uneaten corn from Tiny Tim. So it continues even today to be thought.

Try what we do now food stays healthy n the pots y pans even Tupperware everyone gets a small calorie appropriate portion if still hungry they can grab another spoonful. Our plates now are bigger than our great great grandparents had. We now call their plates the salad plate lol. I have started filling up 1/3-1/2 a plate only then if baby who I bought a special baby portion control plate for isn’t going to eat his macaroni then I ask myself am I still hungry? No - Save for dinner,Tupperware,toss,give to someone else in the house who’s hungry still,animals, compost,recycling bin.

Baby didn’t finish the cookie put the bowl cookie in it inside a large Tupperware place in counter reoffer it in the morning.

This idea has already been said, but I have to tell myself “eating it is not saving it”. Or “ I’m not the food disposal”.

I avoid throwing food, when I buy things I repack in portionsizes and freeze, I cook the portions I plan, if I can't eat the full meal now, I can have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. When I have alot vegetables ect, that need to be used, I make large portions of soup or stews and freeze in servingportions. Cheese I shred, and put in a tight box in the freezer.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes I gave away some of the frozen food which was never going to be appropriate for me to eat. Giant bags of pizza rolls, etc. If you know someone with a big family chances are good they won’t be all that choosy about whether or not the bag is open - explain the situation and say, “Do you know anyone who could use this?”

echmain3 wrote: »

I know the amount of calories I want for each meal so I prepare and eat exactly that. No leftovers.

This is how we operate in my home, too. Or have planned leftovers for the next day.
We almost never throw away any food at all. It is hard for me to imagine doing that. We keep a pretty minimal stock of food, shopping for 1 week at a time and eating it all. Of course there are exceptions like bulk staples. But fresh fruit and veggies, for example...we eat those right away, plan the meals in an order that we'll use the most perishable items earlier in the week, and they're almost never wasted.