4 Steps to Save Money and Prevent Food Waste

(Stock image)

An average family of four loses nearly $1,500 to uneaten food each year, according to USDA research. Wasted food is wasted money.

Not to mention the food that goes in the trash winds up in a landfill where it creates methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, explains USDA’s Food Loss and Waste Liaison Dr. Jean Buzby.

Buzby offers four easy steps to help prevent food waste. 

•    Plan ahead.
Before you go to the grocery store or order online, make a list so you don’t buy more than you need.

•    Serve smart. 
Portion control is good for your waistline, and good for reducing plate waste.

•    Love your leftovers.
Pack leftovers in small portions in shallow containers, mark the contents and date, and refrigerate or freeze immediately.

•    Compost, don’t trash.
Food in landfills produces harmful methane. You can recycle your food scraps in a home compost bin or at a local compost center.

"With every meal, you can save food, save money and protect the environment," Buzby says. Learn more about food loss and waste prevention at usda.gov/foodlossandwaste.

More from Farm Journal's PORK:

Want Not, Waste Much: 5 Ways to Reduce and Recycle Food Waste

 

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