How to Radically Cut Down on Kitchen Waste and Save Cash

Sick of that overflowing trash bin in your kitchen? Good news – changing that is easier than you might think. With these zero-waste tips, you can effortlessly reduce kitchen waste, save some cash and do your part for the environment. By making a few tweaks in how you shop, cook and handle leftovers, you'll see a big difference.

Fresh foods in produce bags.Photo byPhoto credit: Shutterstock.

Embrace Whole Vegetable Cooking

Utilize every part of the vegetables you buy, including stems and leaves that many discard. For example, sauté beet greens for a nutritious side, use broccoli stems in stir-fries or make pesto from radish greens. This approach will maximize your food usage and inspire some creativity in the kitchen at the same time.

Plan Your Meals

Start by planning your weekly meals to guide your shopping list. This lessens impulsive buys and helps you use every item you purchase, which can dramatically reduce waste. Plan meals around similar ingredients so you use produce in its entirety before buying more. Sara Nelson, writing for Food Drink Life, recommends "making a shopping list sorted by type of food — like produce, meat and so on. This will help you get through the store faster and stick to your list."

Make Vegetable Broth with Scraps

Save your vegetable peels, ends and scraps by freezing them until you have enough to make a broth. Simmering these in filtered water creates a nutritious base for soups and stews, that will taste so much better than anything store-bought.

Vegetable scraps.Photo byPhoto credit: Depositphotos.

Buy in Bulk Using Reusable Containers

Purchase dry goods and spices from bulk bins and use your own containers. This reduces packaging waste and lets you buy just the amount you need. The lower per unit price of bulk shopping will also help you stick to a budget.

Compost Organic Waste

Composting organic leftovers turns waste into resource, enriching soil and reducing landfill emissions. Whether it’s fruit peels or coffee grounds, composting is an effective and simple step towards a lower-waste kitchen.

Preserve and Can Seasonal Produce

Extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables through canning and preserving. This old-school technique lets you enjoy seasonal flavors all year round and avoids the waste of surplus produce. It's a method that anyone who gardens should familiarize themselves with as it's almost imposisble to eat everything a garden produces when it's in full harvest. Make sure to brush up on canning safety before giving it a go.

Regrow Vegetables from Scraps

Some vegetables like green onions and celery can be regrown from their scraps. Just place the roots in water and they will rejuvenate. It’s a simple way to reduce waste and multiply your supply of fresh herbs and veggies without another trip to the store.

Store Food Properly

Effective storage prolongs the freshness and edibility of your groceries. For instance, keep herbs lush by storing them in water and apples away from other fruits to avoid premature ripening. Proper storage techniques are easy wins in the fight against food waste.

Woman reading a food label.Photo byPhoto credit: Depositphotos.

Use Leftovers Creatively

Turn your leftovers into exciting new meals so that nothing goes to waste. Old vegetables can find new life in stews, and that half-used jar of sauce could be the base of a great marinade. This saves money and for a little fun, can be treated like a home version of your favorite reality TV food contest.

Educate Yourself on Expiration Dates

Misunderstanding expiration labels like “sell by” and “use by” leads to unnecessary waste. Foods often remain safe past these dates, so don't be too quick to toss cans and jars. Learn the nomenclature and save some cash in the process.

Grow Your Own Herbs

Planting your own herbs like basil, cilantro and parsley is easy and lets you have fresh flavors at your fingertips. Growing herbs at home means you can skip those plastic-wrapped herbs from the store and the high probability that some of them will go bad before you can use them.

Feed the Dog or Cat

If you have safe leftovers like lean meats or certain fruits and veggies (think pumpkin, sweet potatoes or apples), consider offering them to your pet as a last resort. If you have chickens, they'll happily peck away at many of these foods as well. These foods can be healthy in moderation. Always check which foods are safe for pets before offering it to them.