10 tips to save your spoiled meal

Throwing away another dark banana or found in your fridge some carefully saved leftovers from the last week dinner? If these situations sound familiar, then this article is for you.

A European online provider of removals Movinga recently published their research on households food-waste that revealed that almost 25% of all the purchased food in the US is wasted. And this is not something peculiar to the US only. The situation isn't different in other American and European countries.

By managing your food consuming behavior, you will not only save some your money and time but also use a great opportunity to take social responsibility. You can be a helping hand for those, who do not have enough if you donate your extra food and reduce the waste.

Here are just a few tips on how you can cope with this issue:

It may sound like a cliché, but still, how many people take advantage of this piece of advice in their daily life? Avoid buying too much during your grocery shopping. Keep the detailed grocery list based on the number of meals you are planning to cook until the next food shopping. Remember to include the quantities of the products into your list. This will prevent you from buying too much and wasting your money on items that you will throw away by the end of the week.

“Buy 1 get 2“ is a marketers' trick that makes people buy unplanned items due to the sudden impulse. Before you even make a purchase, try to analyze this promotion. If you compare the prices of the same goods, you will probably see that they were the same before the sale or discount. Nevertheless, this psychology trap makes people buy products immediately even if they do not really need it. Another reason for such a “generosity” may be caused by the upcoming expiration date. In this case, you will definitely invest your money in a spoiled meal.

Checkup your freezer frequently. This way you will always know what kind of provisions are available for your consumption and clean some space for new food or leftovers. It is a great idea to freeze season fruits and vegetables; the same applies to the slowly consumable food such as bread, dough, etc. Having some previously prepared meal in the freezer will stop you from new food purchase.

It is easy to forget about fresh fruits and vegetables, or sometimes people just do not have enough time to eat all the overbought food. If you constantly experience this problem, then you need to learn how to store it for maximum freshness.

• Find out what kind of fruits and vegetables should be stored in the fridge. Some of them, such as avocados, tomatoes, mangoes, melons, apples will stay fresh outside your refrigerator.
• It is a good idea to can fruits and vegetables, you will be able to eat them any time and they will not go to your trashcan.
• Besides the temperature, some of the fruits should be stored separately from the others. For example, bananas, apples, pears produce natural gases once they get ripen, this can spoil other fruits faster. So make sure you prepared for them different boxes.
• In order to prevent mold, wash the berries right before you are going to eat them.
• If you just do not have time to eat your fruits at home, it may be a good idea to carry them with you in a plastic container. There is a higher possibility that you will eat them during the day.

The storage tips should be applied to the rest of the food as well. Remember about the correct temperature and find the best place for each item in the fridge.

Be creative in your food usage. If you need spinach according to the recipe, but you have kale on your counter, then go ahead and make the swap. You cannot even imagine how many products that are already available in your fridge have the substitution. Take an advantage of it. Also, think about multitasking for your food when planning your menu. Make sure that you will be able to eat certain food separately as a snack, but also it should be easy combined with other ingredients for the main course or side dish.

This tip is good not only for those who watch their weight. This way you will count your calories and limit the amount of food, which is very likely will end up in your bin. Think of the best use of the edible parts of food, which you usually do not eat. There are thousands of recipes that give you ideas what to do with such pieces, like preparing a smoothie with the fruits of dubious freshness, or croutons of the stale bread.  

Check your habits in restaurants. Don't hesitate asking about portion sizes and be aware of side dishes included with entrees. This way you will order only what you will be able to finish. The same applies to all-you-can-eat buffets. Don’t be too greedy and take only what you can eat. Remember to ask the waiter about the boxes. You can box up all what is left on your plate and take it home with you. It is a good idea to make weekly leftovers dinner and finish everything, which was boxed during the week.

Keep a track of what you are throwing away each week. If you find that it is a lot, you may consider food donation. You can help your local communities, neighbors or any other people in need by simply giving them untouched and safe food. There are many volunteer organizations, who can help you to find people requiring support, or food banks.

As an option, you can donate food to farms and companies to feed livestock or to compost certain foods and turn it into nutrient-rich fertilizer. This can be applied not only to the food leftovers but also to some spoiled items that are not good for further usage.  

Spread a word among your neighbors or community. The dialogue is still the most effective way to develop a different attitude towards the food consumption and wasting. You can impact by sharing best practices and by exchanging some advice in order to reduce our food wastes!

If counting calories, searching for new recipes, creating grocery lists and making a roadmap of your weekly meal is something that is not made for you there is always a way out. Today we have numerous application to help you to control what you buy and eat. If you do not rely on electronic devices or do not want to play around with the apps, the best option for you is to hire the professional, who will help you to eat healthier and consume food wisely.
You don’t need to be a millionaire to hire a cook. Using one of the popular Internet platforms like platforms like Yahoo Local, Yelp or HireRush you can connect with local professional chefs.

With these tips you will save a solid amount of money, eat healthier and make your contribution to the reduction of the world food wasting.