The kitchen seems to be the heart of most homes. After all, it’s the place where we enjoy coming together to enjoy good food. But when you don’t keep things organized, food waste occurs much more often than it should–how frustrating is it to remember that green salad in the produce drawer, only to find it’s looking less than desirable? Here are some quick kitchen organization tips to help you stop wasting food.
- Start by planning your meals before you even go to the store. Leave a couple of nights open, especially if you expect leftovers, so that you will actually eat them instead of throwing them out. If you ever do end up with too many leftovers, consider donating extra unused items {such as fresh produce and canned goods} to your local food bank. They’ll make sure it doesn’t go to waste!
- Store fruit out on your counter, table or island where you can see it. The old adage “out of sight, out of mind,” applies here! If you and your family can see it, you’re more likely to eat it before it goes to waste.
- Always label and date your leftovers. That way you can see what they are, and you can stay on top of when they need to be eaten before going bad.
- Label your produce drawers “week one,” and “week two.” Fresh produce that needs to be refrigerated goes first into week one, and then into week two. Before buying fresh stuff, check the week two bin to be sure it gets used up while it’s still relatively fresh.
- Take a hint from the grocer–in the refrigerator and the pantry, store the food that you need eat first at eye level. That way, it’s more likely to be seen and eaten before the expiration date.
Leave a Reply