Easy Zero Waste Food Ideas

There are many ways in which we can contribute to reducing the amount of waste we produce at home that ends up in landfills. Let’s share some zero-waste food ideas that are easy to implement at home helping our environment and our planet.

Our kitchen is one of the main places we produce more waste in our entire house. Whether it be from food packaging or leftover food, it is incredible how much waste we generate on a daily basis.

What surprises me about these zero-waste ideas is how it’s a win-win situation. Not only do they help us minimize our environmental footprint, but they also surprisingly lead us to save money in various aspects of our daily lives.

Below, are some examples of things we do at home to reduce the amount of waste in our kitchen.

Kitchen Scraps

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Kitchen scraps typically consist of parts of food that are often discarded, such as seeds, peels, outer leaves, and eggshells, among others.

Here’s how we put zero-waste food ideas into practice when it comes to what would otherwise be considered kitchen scraps.

Some vegetables and fruit peels, like carrots, zucchini, potatoes, apples, apricots, and others, are rich in nutrients. We prefer to eat/cook these vegetables and fruits with peels getting the full benefits they offer.

Another inventive use for our kitchen scraps is to make homemade broth. We gather onion peels, excess celery, cilantro stems, carrot peels, and more, all of which are washed and stored in the freezer until we have enough quantity to prepare our homemade broth. This sustainable approach ensures that no nutritional value goes to waste.

Seeds are another part of the fruits and vegetables that often go to waste. At home, we try to buy organic foods whenever feasible and save some of the seeds. For example, we’ve successfully grown tomatoes and bell pepper plants from seeds extracted from organic produce purchased at the store. Furthermore, there are seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, known for their nutrient richness, which we roast and enjoy as wholesome snacks.

Lastly, we have used kitchen scraps to regrow some vegetables such as green onions. With this method, we trim the green portion for cooking purposes and plant the bottom with its roots in the soil, allowing them to regrow repeatedly.

Meal Planning and Portions

This offers yet another effective approach for reducing the leftover food generated during our daily meals.

We’ve been practicing meal planning for many years now, and in doing so, we conscientiously consider factors such as variety, balance, and nutrition when organizing our weekly menu. We select our meals in advance and buy only the necessary ingredients for these planned recipes.

There are so many benefits to meal planning!

• Efficient Shopping: By purchasing only what we need, we minimize the risk of excess quantities that might spoil and end up in the trash. This not only helps reduce food waste but also saves a significant amount of money.
• Stress Reduction and Time Savings: Knowing our weekly meal plan in advance significantly reduces the stress associated with meal preparation and saves valuable time throughout the week. We compile a list of required items in advance, eliminating the possibility of forgetting important ingredients while cooking. This organized approach also encourages us to make more nutritious choices.
• Freshness: We benefit from fresher fruits and vegetables since we purchase only what we intend to consume within the week.

In regards to the meal portions, with the years we can estimate the quantity of food needed based on the number of family members. Our preference is to serve a modest portion initially, allowing individuals to add more if desired. This practice not only minimizes food waste but also encourages balanced eating habits, ensuring a well-rounded selection from each food group on our plate.

Storage

Efficient food storage, whether in our pantry or fridge, plays an important role in our zero-waste food ideas.

The pantry: Within our pantry, we conscientiously look at the use-by-dates to prevent food wastage. Organizing items by category enables easy access and provides a clear inventory of our stock.

Additional storage: For those living in small spaces seeking extra food storage solutions, we have bought a couple of big plastic containers with lids, organized by use-by-dates. This approach ensures that we frequently rotate and use the first items nearing expiration.

Fridge: We purchase only what we intend to consume within a week. We’ve discovered some exceptional tips for prolonging the freshness of vegetables in the fridge that we had implemented. For instance, we keep our lettuce crips after washing by placing a paper towel at the bottom of the glass container, a valuable tip we learned from Amy at “The Cross Legacy” blog.

Fruit Basket: On our kitchen counter, you’ll find a couple of fruit baskets. We try to only buy what we’ll consume within a week.

By applying these storage strategies, we not only reduce food waste but also ensure that our food remains fresh and accessible.

Composting

Composting is another way we can contribute to reducing the amount of waste.

Because we have an Urban Garden on our balcony, creating our own compost has proven to be mutually beneficial. The kitchen scraps we generate are a rich source of nutrients that can be effectively recycled back into the soil, nurturing the growth of vibrant and thriving plants.

For those interested in apartment composting, we have a post with an easy guide in which we utilize kitchen scraps and other materials to produce compost at home.

Buy local and seasonal food

When we opt to purchase our food from local farmers, we are fortunate to receive fruits that have been ripened naturally on the tree, rather than fruits that have embarked on a long journey in trucks or over the sea to reach our locations.

The experience of going to a local farmer’s market, using our reusable shopping bags, and choosing our own food is an amazing experience.

This approach also includes our choice of seasonal foods. Our bodies tend to align with the rhythms of nature, and as seasons change, our cravings adapt to it. For example, at home, our winter menu differs from our summer choices. Buying products that are out of season typically means that they will come from another part of the world, which compromises the freshness of the food due to the days of transportation.

Buying from local farmers and welcoming seasonal food ensures that we consume not only fresher but also more nutritionally rich and flavorful food. This contributes to reducing food waste.

These easy zero-waste food ideas are only examples of how we can reduce our footprint on this beautiful planet and even take a different look at how we see waste. At times, I have discovered that what once was considered waste for us has transformed into a source of overlooked nutrients.