Meal Planning and Prepping to Reduce Food Waste
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often end up throwing away food leftovers. Unfortunately, food waste is more than just a financial issue. It contributes to climate change by producing greenhouse gases as it decomposes in landfills.
Thankfully, meal planning and prepping can help us cut down on food waste. By ensuring we only buy what we need and use what we have, we can make our food go further while saving money and the planet.
Benefits of Meal Planning
Meal planning involves deciding on your meals for the upcoming week, fortnight, or even month, then shopping for those meals. This strategy offers numerous Benefits in combating food waste.
Reduces Overbuying
When we shop without a plan, it's easy to buy more than we need, and food often spoils before we can consume it. Meal planning helps limit this overbuying, saving both food and money.
Makes Use of Leftovers
Meal plans can incorporate leftovers from previous meals, avoiding waste. For instance, if Tuesday's roast chicken leads to leftovers, Wednesday's plan could be chicken salad or stir-fry.
Offers Variety
A well-constructed meal plan offers a mix of meals over the week, avoiding the monotony of eating the same food, therefore lowering the chances of wasting food.
The Art of Meal Prepping
Meal prepping involves spending a couple of hours preparing several meals and snacks for the upcoming week. Meal prepping can be a game-changer in reducing food waste if implemented correctly.
Fights Impulse Eating
With meals already prepared, you're less likely to buy takeout on a whim, reducing both food waste and unnecessary spending.
Ensures Every Ingredient is Used
Meal prepping encourages you to use every ingredient bought to its fullest potential. Let's say you've bought basil for a recipe that only needed a little. A meal prep plan could incorporate basil into more meals, ensuring it doesn't wilt and end up in the bin.
Provides Portion Control
By pre-portioning meals, you're not just saving time but guarding against over-serving, leading to unwanted leftovers.
Combining Meal Planning and Prepping
When used together, meal planning and meal prepping can be a super-effective method to lessen food waste. Here are some tips:
- Plan Based on What You Already Have: Check what's in your pantry and fridge before shopping. Plan meals around these ingredients, reducing the need to buy more and ensuring existing ingredients are consumed.
- Consider the Shelf-life: Plan to eat your most perishable items first and leave the more shelf-stable ones for later in the week.
- Cook Once, Eat Twice: Prepare meals in larger quantities and plan for leftovers.
- Freeze Extras: If you've made too much, freeze the extra portions for a quick meal when you're short on time.
- Allow for Flexibility: Schedules can change, so it's always good to have a plan B. planning for quick, easy-to-prepare meals can save that food you were planning to make from going to waste.
Meal planning and prepping offer a practical way of reducing food waste, saving money, and helping the environment. It may take a little getting used to, but the Benefits are well worth the effort!