Utilizing Food Scraps to Reduce Food Waste

Approximately 30-40% of all food that is grown, processed and transported in the US is wasted. This amounts to about 133 billion pounds and $161 billion of food wasted.

 There are many ways to cut down on your personal food waste. The best approach to reducing food waste is to not create it in the first place. If excess food is unavoidable, donate it to hunger-relief organizations, such as food banks, so it can be repurposed to feed people in need. Within your own home, you can reduce your waste output by optimizing cooking techniques, buying appropriate quantities of food and utilizing food scraps. Below are some of our favorite ways to recycle foods to reduce waste. 

Wilting Greens

Do you have any spinach, herbs, carrot greens or other greens wilting or growing old? Extend their shelf life by storing them in the freezer. Add the frozen greens to soups, smoothies, stir frys or anything else you commonly cook in your household. Another great option is to use wilting greens to make a simple pesto. Add 1-2 cups of greens in a food processor with ½ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Freeze extra pesto in ice cube trays to use another time.

Coffee Grounds

Adding coffee grounds to soil attracts beneficial earthworms and organisms that will provide the plants with nutrients and encourage their growth. (4) Instead of throwing coffee grounds away, spread them directly on soil and cover with leaves, additional compost or bark mulch. Covering the coffee grounds prevents them from drying out and losing beneficial nutrients.

Stale Bread

Do you find yourself having to throw away stale bread? Why not make breadcrumbs? Add your stale bread to a high speed blender with a pinch of salt, pepper and dried Italian herbs. Give the mixture 5-10 pulses and spread on a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Drizzle the bread crumbs in olive oil and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Store these seasoned breadcrumbs in an airtight container for up to 14 days and add them to soups, salads, pasta dishes, meatballs and more!

Broccoli or Cauliflower Stalks

Broccoli stalks are often thrown away however, broccoli stalks are nutrient dense, packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and folate. (3) Try to avoid cutting the stalks off your broccoli and instead cook them with the florets. You can also steam them until tender and blend into mashed potatoes, soup and rice.

Protein scraps

Save and store protein scraps such as beef, fish or chicken trimmings (or even bones) in the freezer. Once you’re ready, you can use those scraps to make a hearty and flavorful stock with any vegetable scraps you have on hand.

With these creative uses for your food scraps, you can do your part to help reduce food waste. If you are curious to learn additional ways to reduce food waste and improve your environmental friendliness. Head to the Bastyr Center for Natural Health’s website or to the Clinic to learn additional ways to reduce food waste and improve your environmental friendliness.

References

“Environmental Health.” Bastyr University, https://bastyr.edu/taxonomy/term/190.

“Food Waste Faqs.” USDA, https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs#:~:text=How%20much%20food%20waste%20is,percent%20of%20the%20food%20supply.

“How We Fight Food Waste in the US.” Feeding America, https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/our-approach/reduce-food-waste.