Food waste can be a black hole in our budgets. Things get forgotten or lost in the back of the fridge and we never see them in edible condition again. When we let our kitchens become a disorganized mess we put our families very food supply at risk but how do you get it all under control? Today we are going to talk about how to organize your kitchen to reduce food waste.
How to Organize Your Kitchen to Reduce Food Waste
Mark expiration dates in thick marker. Expiration dates on the packaging are small and easily overlooked. By marking dates large across packaging you can look into the fridge and see which pack of cheese or whatever is going to go bad first and use that. In the pantry things often get tossed around so the protection of easy to read expiration dates helps your family watch what they are grabbing. Those bold markings are a great reminder to check.
Keep produce visible. Often when we come home from the supermarket we toss produce into the crisper drawers. This is where fruits and vegetables go to die. Out of sight, out of mind really applies here. You can now get storage containers just for keeping produce fresh and visible. Replace crisper drawers with these storage containers keeping produce visible at all times.
Rotate food going into your pantry when you get home. This will keep your freshest pantry goods in the back and the older stuff up front ready to be used. If your family is known for tearing this apart when choosing things from the pantry regularly straighten it up when you stock. For cans, you can find great rotating shelf units if your pantry space is large enough.
Replace containers you can not see through with transparent versions. Keeping food visible at all times is key to keeping it from becoming forgotten about until you clean and discover that canister you filled with flour last year in the back of the pantry that you thought was something else.
Freezer cooking prep is a great way to get organized and reduce kitchen waste. When you get home from the supermarket grab some coffee, put on some music, and start doing the prep work for your meals. Wash, chop, even season meats and veggies for Crock Pot and Instant Pot meals into gallon size freezer bags. This will ensure food stays fresh and gets used rather than lost in the fridge or forgotten. You save a lot of money as well when your meals are organized and ready to cook.
related: Meal Prep 101 for Beginners
Clean out the fridge regularly to prevent food waste. As items start to get older use them up for that night’s dinner or place them out for snacks for the children. Grab those leftovers and use them to create a fun feast of leftovers where everyone chooses what they want or pack for lunches before they have a chance to become science experiments in the back of the fridge.
Kitchen organization helps you reduce food waste, feed your family easier, and get the most out of your budget. It just takes a little time and a few handy tools like Clear food storage, a marker, and a dry erase marker to label foods.
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