On average, each person in Canada wastes 79 kilograms of food every year. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is! As you know, reducing food waste is the very essence of Still Good, so here are 5 tips from our years of food salvaging.
1. Your freezer is your best friend
Freezing food is such an easy way to reduce food waste, yet it tends to be overlooked. It’s a practical way to save your food and make sure you always have something to eat.
Still Good must-have in your freezer
- Ready-to-cook cookie dough to pop in the oven when you’re in the mood for something sweet.
- Pre-packed individual portions of legumes.
- Some fresh ginger to grate.
- A couple of jars of your famous bolognese sauce.
2. Leave no room for improvisation
Planification is the key to fighting food waste. With meal planning, you only buy what you need for your weekly menu. That way, you can enjoy your meals without hearing the famous “what’s for dinner?”
Still Good pro tips
- Build on what you already have in the kitchen.
- Try to process the more “delicate” foods (e.g. arugula) before anything else.
- Manage your surplus with a “clean-out-the-fridge” recipe (soup, omelette, fried rice, etc.).
- Don’t be too hard on yourself if you want to stay motivated.
3. Canning fresh produce
Homemade preserves can be scary, but they remain a super accessible preservation technique, especially if you skip the sterilization step by keeping your jars cold.
Our suggestions
- Marinate some vegetables to garnish your sandwiches (onions, radishes, etc.).
- Turn them into a compote (try a mix of pears, honey and turmeric.)
- Preserve your fruit in syrup to serve with oatmeal.
- Turn your herbs and spinach into a hearty pesto.
4. Check out the Internet
Staring at a half-empty fridge is far from exciting. Over at Still Good, we don’t mind turning to technology for a little help. Some tools, for example, provide easy recipes to save your ingredients from going to waste.
Our team’s favourites (In french only)
- Cuisine: Inventaire & recettes (Google Play et App Store)
- Frigo Magic: Cuisine antigaspi (Google Play et App Store)
- Glouton
- Sauve ta bouffe
5. Rethink your organization
As zero waste expert, Florence-Léa Siry says, “Preservation is a complex art.” Therefore, if you want to reduce food waste, you cannot simply put everything in the refrigerator or the pantry.
Florence-Léa perservation tips
- Remove the extra packaging (e.g. plastic wrap over vegetables).
- Leave your fruits and vegetables at room temperature.
- Place your greens in an airtight container wrapped in a towel.
- Place your herbs in a jar containing 1 cm of water and leave it on the counter or in your fridge door.
As you can imagine, we could talk about reducing food waste for quite a while! Search the internet, try out recipes and new methods, buy less food and freeze more. Psst! Still Good cookies are just as moist after a trip to the freezer, so stock up.
Sources
SAUVE TA BOUFFE. Trucs et astuces pour jeter moins et manger mieux, [Fichier PDF], 1re éd., Québec, Projet SALSA Haute-Ville, 2019, 121 p.
SCHEPPER, Bertrand. « En un graphique : le gaspillage alimentaire sur la planète », IRIS. Votre institut de recherche progressiste , [En ligne], 14 avril 2021. [https://iris-recherche.qc.ca/blogue/environnement-ressources-et-energie/en-un-graphique-le-gaspillage-alimentaire-sur-la-planete/].
SIRY, Florence-Léa. Chic Frigo Sans Fric. Zéro gaspillage alimentaire , [En ligne], 2018. [https://chicfrigosansfric.com]
