1) Planning Ahead:

• Check the refrigerator and pantry before shopping to use what is already at home
• Create a detailed shopping list and plan meals based on the number of guests you’ll be serving. 
  1. Resources like savethefood.com/guestimator help estimate how much food is needed to keep guests full and happy without overbuying. 
  2. For more planning tips and tools, visit savethefood.com/planning. 

2) When shopping:

• Buy less and shop more. 
• Buy from the bulk section to buy only the amount you need and reduce individual packaging.
• Buy and eat imperfect produce. “Ugly” fruits and vegetables often go unsold and are thrown out, even though they are just as nutritious and tasty as perfectly shaped produce. 
• Buy local and seasonal foods, which have a smaller carbon footprint and support the local economy. 

3) Using it All At Home:

• Schedule a weekly ‘Use It Up Day’ or ‘Meal’ to make the most of leftover ingredients.
• Cook meals that incorporate ingredients nearing their expiration. 
• Reimagine food scraps and leftovers into new recipes. 
• Save bones, carrot peels, celery tops, and potato peels to boil and create homemade vegetable stock, turn wilted vegetables into soups or casseroles, and use overripe fruit in baked goods or smoothies.
• Use your own judgment and senses to check if food is still good – look, smell, and taste before tossing it out. Confusion over “Best before” and “Use by” dates can lead to unnecessary food disposal. 
• Learn the difference between food labels, here.   

4) Storing properly:

Proper storage keeps food fresher longer. Implement proper storage techniques for the fridge, pantry, and freezer to extend freshness. Methods like freezing, pickling, canning, or drying can further preserve food. Learn more storage methods using the guide at savethefood.com/storage. 

Refrigeration

1. Keep items like meats, dairy, and cooked vegetables separate from sauces and gravies; mixing them can change their flavors and textures.
2. For extended freshness, put your leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours. 
3. Where food is stored in the refrigerator affects its freshness. 

Freezing

1. Wrap food tightly and remove as much air as possible to reduce freezer burn.
2. Freeze fresh produce and leftovers if there’s no time to eat them before they go bad to preserve them for weeks (or months)!
3. Store soups, stocks, and sauces in the freezer, in containers or ice cube trays.

Pantry

1. Move open packages of flour, pasta, sugar, rice, and cereals into airtight containers. This keeps them fresh and prevents pantry pests. 
2. Re-use pasta sauce jars and other glass containers to store dry goods.
3. Some fruits release ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process of nearby produce. Store ethylene-producing and ethylene-sensitive produce separately to extend freshness. 
4. For example, keep onions away from apples and potatoes to avoid unwanted odors and accelerated ripening.

5) Donating Extras:

Share surplus food with neighbors, donate to a local food pantry, or participate in a food drive. 

6) Composting Organics:

30% of all household garbage is compostable! Instead of throwing away food scraps and rotten leftovers, compost them! Recycling organic materials can build healthy soil, conserve water and energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to the local economy. 

7) Trashing Fats, Oils, and Grease: 

Never put food or fats, oils, or grease down the garbage disposal, sink, shower, or storm drain.