Tips & Tricks For Reducing Food Waste

I am someone that loves a list. I like to check off what I’m doing or what I need to buy from the supermarket. This definitely helps me to reduce waste, but I think there is still more that can be done. There are some things that are wasted that you don’t intend to, as well things that aren’t in good enough condition that can even go off before their use by date.

Food and groceries are getting more and more expensive, so I can’t be the only one that is looking to reduce how much waste out home has. Being able to use more and more really makes a difference.

Here are a few tips and tricks to try.

Aquafaba (chickpea water)

When you drain you can on chickpeas, you don’t just have to drain it and have the chickpea water go down the drain. The aquafaba liquid can be used as an egg substitute for meringues, as well as other egg recipes. An egg white is roughly the equivalent of two tbsps of the chickpea water.

Overripe bananas

Bananas get eaten a lot in our house, but they can turn quite quickly and then the kids definitely don’t want to eat them. Once they’re past their best, they might be too mushy to eat, but they can work well for recipes like banana bread, muffins, cakes, or thrown into smoothies.

If you’re someone that likes pancakes, they can be used instead of sugar or butter (even eggs) when making pancakes. By blending the bananas with baking powder and flour, you get a batter that can be used for waffles and pancakes.

Bread crusts

This isn’t something that gets wasted all that often in our house, but I know it is something that some homes cut off and then throw away. Leftover bread crusts can be made into croutons for soup or salad, or baked into a dessert like bread pudding.

Raspberries

We love raspberries, but sometimes they can go a little mushy before we are able to eat them. Sometimes I freeze them to go in smoothies or to eat by themselves with yogurt. However, if you have any leftover, they can be used for sweetening cakes and puddings. Have you ever thought of making them into a jam or a coulis?

Citrus peel

A lot of recipes we use call for lemon juice, but not all need the peel or zest. The thing is, the rind on citrus fruits is what holds the most oils and vitamin c! By boiling the peels in water, and then simmering with sugar for a while, you’ve got your own candied peel that can be used in baking, particularly around Christmas, as well as snacks to nibble on.

Watermelon rinds

If this is something that you’ve been eating all summer long, then why not make sure that the rinds aren’t wasted? Did you know you can make watermelon jam?

By peeling the green skin, and then using some lemon, honey or maple syrup, and some berries, you can boil it all together in a post to make a jam. It will take an hour or so to make the jam as the rinds take a while to simmer and soften, but once done, blend it all together and store in jars in the fridge.