Decreasing Food Waste 
1.  Make only the desired number of servings.
2.  give kids a kid-sized serving.
3.  Always cover food when you put it in the refrigerator.
4.  Look in the refrigerator for leftovers before you start preparing a meal.
5.  Limit high-fat snacks: they interfere with a good appetite for meals.
6.  Make favorite foods.
7.  Try new recipes in small amounts.
8.  Store very ripe fruits in the refrigerator.
9.  Put very ripe bananas in the freeze to use later.
10.  Close bread wrappers after each use.
11.  Use old bread for french toast, bread pudding, croutons, or bread crumbs.
12.  Eat leftovers from supper for breakfast or lunch.
13.  Freeze leftovers and have them next week.
14.  Refresh wilting vegetables by sprinkling them with cold water and wrapping in a towel, then refrigerate.
15.  Perk up lettuce by adding lemon juice to a bowl of cold water, and soak one hour.
16.  Make lettuce and celery crisp again by adding to a few slices of raw potato in a bowl of cold water.
17.  Store popcorn in the freezer: it pops better.
18.  Keep a sponge in the vegetable drawer to absorb moisture.
19.  Go grocery shopping on a full stomach.
20.  Stuff leftover beans in a pita bread; top with shredded cheese.
21.  Store food in see-through containers or zip-lock bags.
22.  Check dates on perishable items; buy items with the most distant dates.
23.  Take leftovers to work and heat in microwave for lunch.
24.  Buy pop or juice in resealable bottles instead of cans.
25.  Make a potpie with leftovers.
26.  Make fried rice or casseroles with leftover rice.
27.  Use leftover meat in a stir-fry.
28.  Share a serving when eating out.
29.  Create a compose pile to recycle kitchen scraps.
30.  Save chicken carcasses and ham bones to make soup.


Copyright © 1999 Michigan State University Extension. For information about Hunger Resources and Programming, contact <wrublec@msue.msu.edu>. 

Michigan State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. Michigan State University Extension educational programs and materials are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. 3/99