46 simple, doable ways to waste less food at home

Americans chuck a lot of food. The average household tosses $3,000 worth in the trash every year, a cost that’s nearly doubled since the last time the EPA ran its numbers. The planet-warming impact of all that waste is enormous: Uneaten food in the U.S. alone creates 170 million metric tons of emissions every year—which is nearly as much as what is produced by the entire country of Argentina. 

This is a problem that spans the entire food system, but our homes produce the most edible trash. Individual households create more than 35% of the nation’s tossed sustenance, according to ReFED, a nonprofit focused on food-waste solutions. Don’t let this make you feel guilty; use it to feel empowered.

There are dozens of simple habits you can employ to trim the amount of waste that comes out of your kitchen. In fact, a recent report from the World Resources Institute found that some of the most-pervasive reasons Americans chuck grub are easy to fix. Losing track of food, being too busy to use up extras, and dealing with excessive leftovers were all among the biggest rubs in U.S. homes. And to that we say: Hold our beer.

Brushing up on the basics of food storage and safety, creating some house rules about leftovers, and knowing how to effectively use that damn crisper drawer can all help you and your family waste less and save more—without making the whole process feel like a major chore or time-suck. Here are 46 tips to prevent food waste at home, including suggestions from the one5c community. 

1. Accept that “expiration” dates are confusing lies. The dates stamped on food packaging are usually an indicator of when the manufacturer thinks food is at its best, as opposed to a food-safety deadline. Here’s what they really mean. 
2. While you’re at, learn the rules of food safety. Store raw and cooked foods separately and keep raw proteins on the bottom shelves to avoid cross-contamination. 
3. Teach household members how to identify food that is still safe to eat even if it looks imperfect. A wrinkle isn’t rot. A bruise isn’t doom. Help them understand that “ugly” isn’t “inedible.” Food that’s got a funky odor or flavor, has mold, bubbles, or foam, or is severely discolored is what’s really gotta go. 
4. Enlist apps like  Foodwise or Fresh Keep to scan items, track what’s in your fridge, and get alerts when things are about to go off.
5. Try meal planning. Research has found that when people plan a week’s worth of food, cook those meals, and divvy up portions for the week, they waste less. 
6. Shop with a strict list and stick to it. Buying what you don’t need is the fastest way to turn your vegetable drawer into a surprise science experiment. 
7. Portion meals and leftovers into clear-sided, reusable containers (like these glass ones) immediately, so nothing gets lost in the fridge abyss. If it’s pre-portioned, it actually gets eaten. 
8. Institute a “leftover night” in your household, where everyone looks at the contents of the fridge and tries to create the tastiest combo.
9. one5c reader tip: Save hard cheese in the freezer. These add great flavor when simmered in sauces and soups. —Jennifer R.
10. Label everything. Yeah, it’s kind of a pain. But, like enduring a spouse’s nighttime noises, it’ll become habit. Do it for both fridge and freezer contents. Put the specific name (not just “pasta”) and the date of storage so you, and anyone who digs around, can eat older items before newer ones. 
11. In fact, establish a first-in-first-out rule for everything. Organize items so that the oldest stuff is in front and the newer vittles are in the back. You can also create an “eat me first” zone in the fridge or pantry to call extra attention to what’s gotta go on the double.
12. The smoothie is a food-waste all-star. Got some greens that have seen better days and a banana so brown it’s basically pudding? Toss ’em in. Add yogurt or nut butter and you’re off to the races. Here’s a template to follow.
13. Egg bakes. Salads. Fried rice. Soups. Omlettes. Each is a way to repurpose pretty much every category of leftovers. Add a couple to your meal plan to ensure last night’s grain bowl doesn’t go to waste. 
14. Air is a primary culprit for foods developing off-putting textures in the freezer. If you’re using freezer paper or foil, wrap food as tightly as you can; if you’re using freezer bags, push out any excess air before sealing. 
15. one5c reader tip: Sliced bread can be stored in the freezer for months by simply storing slices in a freezer safe container or bag. When you want to have a slice, pop it in a toaster oven with some water and it’ll taste almost as fresh as when you first baked it. —Natalie R. 
16. You know what’s a great leftovers meal? A calzone. Get some frozen pizza dough, divide it into a few portions, and load in some leftover cheeses and veggies. Of course you can make pizza, too.  
17. Pesto is a classic way to use leafy greens. But ever had chimichurri? It’s a green sauce from Argentina: tangy, spicy, herbaceous. It goes well on anything, especially vegetables and hearty proteins. The main ingredient is parsley. But the base recipe—which also features olive oil, vinegar, and oregano—can be made substituting pretty much any green. Spinach, carrot tops, radish greens all work, too.
18. Carrots starting to look a little droopy? They’re not bad; they’re probably just thirsty. Snip the tips, put ‘em in a container of cold water and stick ‘em in the fridge overnight. By morning, they should be upright again.
19. While we’re talking about carrots: Their peels are edible. Give ‘em a good scrub before eating or cooking to remove any surface dirt. Same goes for potatoes. Strawberry tops? Edible, too.
20. Freeze your fruits and vegetables more often—especially when they’re in season and bountiful. If you toss ’em in at peak ripeness, you’ll preserve nutrition and prevent the likely scenario of some of that produce getting soft. 
21. Most of us know to save veggie scraps and other trimmings to make our own stocks. But you can also pack soon-to-be-mushy herbs into an ice cube tray, cover them with oil, freeze them, and store them in a gallon bag. Those cubes melt into instant flavor for sautés, soups, and roasted vegetables. 
22. In fact, a cuber is a savior for a range of things—from some extra chopped garlic to that half-can of coconut milk.
23. Compost unavoidable scraps like eggshells and coffee grounds so even waste contributes positively. Your plants will thank you. Here’s our top-ranking compost bin. 
24. Familiarize yourself with local food banks and donate what you know you might not use. Many accept unopened, non-perishable items and sometimes even fresh produce.
25. one5c reader tip: Use a point system. It’s unofficial, but everyone in my family knows that if you use up an open container from the fridge, you get a point. From the freezer, you get two points. Our grown-up kids and their partners will call it out every time: “I finished the jelly, I get a point.” It’s a “make you feel good” moment. —Gabriele T.
26. Transform the last bits in jars into quick, flavorful sauces. For instance, mix soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and a few pantry staples into an almost-empty peanut butter jar to create a simple peanut sauce. Here’s the recipe—along with one for a mustard-jar vinaigrette. 
27. Keep a running list of foods you waste and adjust your shopping habits. If you toss half your berries every week, stop buying the family-size container.
28. Are leftovers a hard sell in your household?  Stop calling them that. Refer to them as eat-agains or flavor-savers. OK maybe not that last one. But branding is a business for a reason.
29. Perform a fridge inspection weekly. Shuffle the contents around to see if any groceries or leftovers got mistakenly covered or shoved to that one back corner of every fridge where foods go to molder.
30. Unless it’s moldy, stale bread should never hit your trash. Blitz it in the processor to make breadcrumbs. Tear it, oil it, and bake it to make croutons. And if you’re making French toast, dried-out bread is practically a requirement. 
31. Get pickling. Veggies and fruits nearing the end of their life can get pickled in a snap. A quick pickle is perfect for beginners who might not want to mess with fermentation, and this guide can walk you through it.
32. A lot of what pickles can also be turned into preserves. Making a jam from fading fruit is as simple as simmering it slowly with sugar and a few teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar. This pan jam is one of our go-tos.
33. Follow the 2-2-2 rule for leftovers developed by the New Zealand nonprofit Love Food, Hate Waste: Two hours to get them in the fridge, two days to eat them once they’re packed away, or freeze them for two months. On days above 90 degrees F, it shifts to the 1-2-2 rule. 
34. one5c reader tip: Take small bits of leftovers and freeze them in a large container called “soup goodies.“ When it’s full, I buy a rotisserie chicken and make soup with all that melange. Everything goes in: roasted veg, rice, deglazed brown bits from a pan, meat bits. It is absolutely the best soup ever, and not a tiny scrap of food goes in the trash. —Virgia G.
35. Freeze extra sauces, soups, or broth in meal-sized portions to prevent excess from going bad. One frozen quart is a backup plan; three frozen quarts is a gift from Past You.
36. Add a weekly “ingredient spotlight.” Choose one item you habitually ignore (lentils, that lesser-known grain you bought during a health kick) and plan one meal around it. Slowly expand your comfort zone—and shrink the waste pile.
37. You know what helps transform leftovers from “this again?” to “this is great”? A killer sauce. This smoky tofu sauce is a fan favorite.
38. A chaotic freezer is where food goes to hibernate forever. If you can’t see it, you won’t cook it. Organize your freezer by category—proteins, vegetables, grains, and sauces—so nothing gets lost or forgotten.
39. Learn to DIY your own dried fruit and veggie snacks. Overripe bananas? Apple slices? Tomatoes? Slice and dehydrate. Use as-is or grind ingredients like tomatoes or bell peppers into spices 
40. Granola is also a great way to use up those last few nuts or the last couple spoonfuls of cereal. Unearthed a handful or raisins or dried apricots in the back of the pantry? Chuck ‘em in. too. Our gingerbread protein granola recipe is very adaptable.
41. one5c reader tip: After roasting anything, I add a little water to the pan, return it to the oven, and let it simmer into a flavorful broth. That broth goes straight into my rice cooker with some rice, and voilà—nutrient-rich, deliciously infused rice from what would’ve been messy leftovers. —Randall W.
42. Freeze extra rice. In the fridge, the grains can only sit for a few days before they become a health hazard. Frozen cooked rice also thaws quickly, and in dishes like fried rice it’s actually superior to the fresh stuff, because it can get extra crispy. 
43. Brush up on your crisper drawer etiquette. Put greens and herbs in high humidity, and keep any apples, bananas, avocados, or other ethylene-farters away from sensitive produce. It can be a lot to keep track of, so we made a printable cheat sheet.
44. Use citrus peels, vegetable scraps, and herb stems in creative ways, like infusions or simple syrups. There’s a lot of flavor hiding in what most people toss.
45. Build a reward system. Every week you waste nothing, put $10 into a “treat fund.” Spend it monthly on something fun—coffee, a book, fancy cheese. 
46. Before you shop, take 10 minutes to scan the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Use up what you can, freeze what you should, and compost what you must. Starting each week with a reset will help decrease your food waste and reinforce every habit on this list.