As we celebrate Earth Month this April, we’re leaning into reducing food waste as a simple way to help the planet and save our budgets at the same time. Up to 40 percent of the United States’ food supply ends up going to waste, according to the USDA. The more food we waste, the more food takes up space in our landfills and damages the planet, so every bit of food saved makes a difference. In addition to being environmentally friendly, reducing food waste can also have a huge positive effect on your wallet. But it doesn’t need to be a massive change in your life. Finding creative ways to use up leftover food can make your weekly grocery order stretch further, saving you more money over time. Whether you’re often left with small leftover portions of ingredients or are looking to use up peak-season fruit and vegetables, these simple and easy tips can help you reduce food waste in your everyday life.
Create a Weekly Anything Dish
Pick a night of the week that works for you and dedicate it to making a recipe that will use up any odds and ends you have left after the rest of the week’s recipes. Try making fried rice with day-old rice and leftover vegetables from the week or leftover baked pasta. Looking to do a leftovers brunch instead? Try an “anything quiche,” to use up wilting greens like spinach and other veggie scraps as well as leftover cooked meats like sausage or bacon.
Get some inspiration: Sheet Pan Fried Rice, Anything Quiche, Leftover Pasta Bake
Search for Recipes Using Leftover Ingredients
If you need a little more guidance to use up your ingredients, there’s a recipe to help you use it up just a few clicks away. All you have to do is search Savory’s website! For example, picking up a rotisserie chicken can be a quick and easy main for dinner, but how can you reuse what’s left over for an easy lunch? Search for recipes to use up a rotisserie chicken and choose from the best salads, sandwiches, pasta, and more to use it up. Each time you do this, it makes for one less ingredient you need to go out and buy.
Freeze Leftovers
Freezing leftover ingredients or meals is a great way to prep for busy days and reduce food waste at the same time. Use up all of your ingredients by making a double batch (or more!) of your favorite pasta, soup, or casserole and freeze excess portions. For easy reheating, use glass containers with airtight lids to store the leftovers. Then, when you’re short on time, reheat the leftovers in the microwave or oven for a quick meal instead. You can also freeze one component of a meal, like a homemade sauce, to use as a shortcut for another meal later on.
Get some inspiration: Bolognese Sauce with Fettucine
Repurpose Scraps
There are so many easy ways to save and use up fresh fruit and vegetable scraps. Before your excess fruit goes bad, consider freezing it. You can freeze fruit on its own in a zip-top bag to use for smoothies. You can also blend the fruit before freezing it in an ice cube tray to use in iced tea or lemonade or combine the blended fruit with yogurt before pouring it into an ice pop mold. Veggie scraps are also great to save and freeze to make your own vegetable broth. Next time you’re in the mood for an ice pop or some veggie broth, you won’t need to run to the store!
Get some inspiration: Leftover Fruit Ice Pops or Slow Cooker Veggie Broth
Stretch Expensive Ingredients with Leftovers
Leftover veggies or grains are a clever way to make a package of ground meat go further when making burger patties, sauces, meatballs, and more, without compromising flavor. Chopped mushrooms can add extra flavor and volume to ground beef for even more affordable Salisbury steak. When making fried fish patties, add leftover mashed potatoes with the fish to help bind the patties together and make for a better-textured bite. This is a great way to use up excess veggies and grains while also making the meal’s main dish more filling in a cost-effective way.
Get some inspiration: Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy and Potato and Salmon Patties with Lemon-Garlic Cream
Make Freezer Jams to Save Fruit
Save your extra peak-season fruit before it goes bad by making it into a simple freezer jam. While traditional canning methods can be a bit complicated and time-consuming, using no-cook pectin with the fruit of your choice is a delicious way to simplify the process. You can freeze it for up to 3 months or refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks. This makes it easy to still enjoy spring and summer fruits months after they peak. Stir it into Greek yogurt or spread it on toast in the morning for a quick, inexpensive breakfast.
Get some inspiration: Strawberry-Vanilla Freezer Jam