The average American family wastes a quarter of all the food they purchase. Getting the most out of your holiday meal budget and preventing wasted food by doing just a little planning. The
Eat Smart, Waste Less Challenge
offers simple steps and tools to help.
SMART shopping
Shop smart by making your meal plan before shopping. Consider how many people you are feeding so you don't buy more food than you can use.Wondering how big a turkey you need? Visit
www.TheKitchn.com
for a great guide.
It's also important to make a shopping list from your meal plan and try to stick to it. Research has shown that shoppers can spend up to 40 percent more on impulse purchases when shopping without a list.
SMART storage
Storing the food you purchase in the right place will also help cut down on holiday food waste. Did you know that carrots and celery will stay fresher longer if you put them in some water? And your salad greens will be crisper if they are stored in an airtight container with a damp towel. It is also good practice to only wash your cranberries right before you use them to reduce mold. Check out the A-Z Food Storage Guide for more tips, including how to use the humidity settings on your refrigerator's crisper drawer.
SMART saving
There will always be leftovers at holiday gatherings. Why not invite guests to bring storage containers and take some home? There are also lots of recipes online for using holiday leftovers. For example, make tasty pumpkin turkey chili by combining your leftover turkey with some onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, cheese, sour cream and some spices. Find this recipe and others at these websites:
SMART prep
Prep some of your food in advance make sure everything you bought gets served. Then you can save some time the day of the holiday for other fun activities. Try prepping some ingredients such as cut vegetables, appetizers, and desserts a day or few in advance. Then they are ready when you need them and not hiding in the back of
the refrigerator.
Learn more:
A family of four can save more than $1,600 a year by making changes in how they shop, prepare and store food. To learn more about what you can do,
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