Preparing food at home can help you adopt healthier eating styles and reduce food loss and waste

Whether you are starting your day with a hearty, healthy breakfast or fueling your body for your next long run, the foods you choose can make a difference. Preparing food at home can not only help people adopt healthier eating styles, it can also help with reducing food loss and waste.

Below are five ways you can help prevent food waste:

  • Plan your meals based on foods you already have in your refrigerator, freezer or pantry. There are several websites out there that will help you come up with recipes based on the ingredients you already have.
  • Buy only the amount of food that can be eaten or frozen in a few days. Reducing how much you have in your pantry or refrigerator can help reduce food waste.
  • Place foods that spoil quickly at the front of the refrigerator. If you can see the food, you will use the food!
  • Store produce correctly. Are you not sure if something needs to be refrigerated? When in doubt, just Google it!
  • Get creative with leftovers. Use your leftover roasted chicken and make some chicken salad for your lunch the following day. Use your leftover veggies on top of a salad for your dinner the next night. I always cut up leftover meat and veggies to keep in the refrigerator for more meals. All of this goes a long way to helping to reduce food waste.

 

For more information about National Nutrition Month please visit: www.eatright.org


Contributed by Kari McDonnough, CDM, Director of Dietary Services and Nutrition

Healthy recipes

Download these heart healthy recipes for easy meal time options.