There is nothing like the home-cooked meals and special treats that we get to enjoy this time of year. Unfortunately, a lot of the food we are buying for holiday celebrations now, will end up going to the landfill over the next few weeks. Clark County generates an average 35,000 tons of edible food waste each year, and as you can imagine, the holidays play a large role in that number. But there is good news! This holiday season we have some fresh tips to help you manage your meals and keep your hard-earned food from going in the garbage. Read on for some tips and tricks to help you save money and prevent food waste.
Simplify shopping
Food waste prevention starts at the grocery store. Avoid overbuying food by taking stock of what's already available in the cupboards and using an online tool like "Guest-imator" to determine how much food is needed based on the number of expected guests. Meal planning before heading to the store is another great tactic. Don't know where to start? Check out this handy meal planning guide fromusefoodwell.org.
Celebrate leftovers
Send guests home with leftovers in reusable containers. Use leftovers to create new culinary combinations, such as using mashed potatoes to make shepherd's pie, adopting cranberry sauce as a festive topping for oatmeal, or boiling bones to create nutrient-rich bone broth for winter soups and stews. Don't be afraid to get creative and search the internet for fun holiday leftover recipes that will make good use of your leftovers and keep the celebration going.
Store properly
Properly store groceries to minimize spoilage. Store dry goods in labeled air-tight containers. Store onions and apples separate from other foods (they emit a gas that makes other foods spoil faster). And whenever possible, purchase local and in-season produce which often lasts longer since it requires less transportation time. Freezing leftovers in air-tight containers can preserve the flavors of the holiday season for months. To learn more about proper ways to store food, check out this food storage guide from usefoodwell.org
Compost scraps
Composting food scraps prevents bad odors and messes in kitchen garbage, returns beneficial nutrients to the soil, replaces the use of synthetic fertilizers, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Compost at the curb: Waste Connections customers in the cities of Vancouver and Ridgefield who have curbside organics service can put food scraps into their carts.
Compost drop-offs: All residents can drop off food waste for free at a We Compost Community Hub location. Find locations on the We Compost Community Hubs webpage.
For more food waste prevention tips, visitusefoodwell.org.