...and I've got no photo, which means no waste! Yay! It's been awhile...
I attribute this to meticulous planning. My husband went out of town and I'm going to join him. So first of all, I didn't buy any new groceries. Then, I went over everything I had and made up a plan for what I would eat and when. I wanted to make sure anything that would go bad would be eaten before I left.
There was some bread I put in the freezer, and a little bit of almond milk, and the rest of the leftovers I ate. Even an entire cantaloupe, over the course of several days. I shared a watermelon, and gave away a green pepper that came in our CSA box, because that's one of the few vegetables I don't like.
So some of this is sinking in:
1) Buy less food.
2) Make a plan.
If you want to learn why cutting food waste matters, check out Wasted Food or Love Food, Hate Waste to get the info, plus helpful hints on how to waste less.
I owe my current obsession with cutting our food waste (and photographing rotten food) to Kristen at The Frugal Girl who started taking pictures of the food she threw out every week. She noticed it was helping her waste less, so she invited her readers to participate. And I should also thank Kristen for the bonus of saving money! For us, it adds up to about $80-$100 per month.
Are you part of the Waste No Food Challenge? All you have to do is go to Kristen's blog and make a comment. How did you do this week? Please leave your tips and advice, confessions and setbacks in the Comments section. We've all had bad weeks, so if this wasn't a great one, you can be sure you're not alone!
August 28, 2009
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7 comments:
My food waste for this week is that big plastic tub of salad greens and this leads to my food waste question: is it food waste if I buy the big salad box for $3.49 at Costco and not get thru it all and compost the rest, or, buy the small box of greens at the regular store for $4.99 and maybe get thru it all. The same goes for berries. I can get more for cheaper, but can't use it all. I see it as still getting more for my money, but I'm composting or feeding the bunnies with the rest. I just want to make it clear that it's not going into the trash.
saymoi: I'd say the former is food waste, the latter is money waste. In your shoes I'd feel that feeding the bunnies isn't waste but that composting is. YMMV.
Angela: I got a chuckle from your description of managing to eat a canteloupe in a few days. I'm the opposite: I could eat an entire one in a sitting and have to consciously slow myself down so I don't hog it all to myself.
You can boil up some chicken broth, swirl in the greens, freeze and use later as a basis for soup later.
I follow your advice about planning what to eat when I'm "soloing" for a few days. I never go buy new food and can be creative and inventive with what I have on hand. I don't have to please anyone but myself with my "food inventions..."
LOL
Oh brilliant - well done you. We had a food waste free week as well!
I agree with you; it's all in the planning (and the discipline to carry through the plans!)
saymoi- That's a tough one, but I think I'd agree with WilliamB. And the main thing is that either way it's composted.
WilliamB- Yes, it all depends on which is your favorite fruit. I don't like cantaloupe very much, but these from the CSA are really sweet and delicious. It's hard for me to imagine ever wasting good peaches, cherries, or any kind of berries. But I'm glad you got a chuckle, however it was achieved!
Anonymous- I haven't tried that, but it sounds like a really good idea as long as you catch the greens before they're getting slimy.
FrugalMusician- yes, I think it's easier not to have such "interesting" food when you're by yourself, and if you end up with a failed experiment it's not as big of a deal. My husband wouldn't care, it's just my own perfectionism or expectations of myself. He never expects dinner and always appreciates whatever I make.
Mrs. Green- Congrats to you as well! It's definitely an ongoing process, because I don't think I've ever managed two waste-free weeks in a row... Thanks for commenting!
It is important to not "waste" your "waste" too. Use the coffee grounds in your garden as fertilizer!
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