Have you ever been wandering around the grocery store, throwing items into your cart and really not knowing what you’re going to do with them once you’re home? Yeah, I think most of us have at some point or another! However, doing this can lead to a lot of food waste, meaning that you could be overspending on your grocery shopping! While a bit of waste here and there is to be expected, it’s easier than you think to reduce the amount of food that you waste. Check out these fabulous tips on how to make the most out of your grocery shopping.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Never go shopping when you’re hungry
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make, is going grocery shopping when you’re hungry. The hunger that you’re feeling makes it almost impossible to resist filling your cart full of foods that you’re craving. It’s understandable though, since we all lead a busy lifestyle. So, if you find yourself heading to the store when you’re hungry, grab yourself a quick snack beforehand so that you’ve got a level head when you’re doing your weekly shopping. You’ll find that you don’t buy as much as before!
Preserve your food!
Food can turn quickly, especially fresh food. So how can you make the most out of the groceries that you’ve bought without having to scoff everything right away? A simple and clever answer is by preserving your food! Why not buy yourself a professional sous vide machine so that you’re able to use the technique of sous vide to preserve your foods? Whether it’s pickling or freezing, your food will last much longer than before.
Start prepping meals
When you’re grocery shopping it’s likely that you might have some idea about what you’re going to make with the food that you’re buying. This can quickly go out of the window when it comes to actually making your meals, so why not prevent any food wastage by preparing meals when you’ve got some free time? A ready made meal is more likely to be eaten than just the ingredients. Plus, if you really don’t feel like eating your meal, you can pop it in the freezer and preserve your food for longer!
Make a note of use-by dates
Finally, when you lead a busy life it’s easy to forget about use-by dates, especially on fresh items such as salads. Buy yourself a small whiteboard for your kitchen so that when you’ve done your grocery shopping, you can make a note of your use-by dates. You’ll be less likely to forget about perishables; meaning you’ll be less likely to waste your food.
This is a collaborative post, written with my audience in mind. I hope you have enjoyed reading these tips for minimizing food waste, and as always, thank you for supporting A Spoonful of TLC.
