While the holiday season brings festive cheer, time spent with loved ones, and delicious food, it also welcomes more food waste than usual. During the holidays, global food waste skyrockets. In North America, more than 300 billion pounds of food are wasted every year, partly due to the holiday season. Fortunately, there are plenty of feasible solutions to this problem, just so long as people are willing to invest in greener solutions.
This winter, let’s work together to reduce our carbon footprint and minimize holiday leftovers going to waste. In this guide, we’ll share several strategies to reduce food waste this busy holiday season and tips for incorporating these habits into your traditions.
Make a Grocery List
Food waste often starts at the grocery store, especially during the holidays when we tend to overbuy. To avoid this, create an accurate grocery list based on your recipes. Check your kitchen for existing ingredients before shopping. Craft a solid list and stick to it, considering the exact ingredients and quantities needed. Cooking the right amount of food for everyone helps prevent waste. Don't worry if you end up with leftovers; we'll cover more on managing them effectively.
Use Ingredients From Home
Before heading to the store, check your kitchen for ingredients you might already have. Look for dried goods, canned items, and frozen vegetables with a long shelf life that can be used in your holiday recipes. Also, check your pantry and fridge for spices and baked goods. Incorporating these items into your recipes can save you money and reduce waste.
Consider Your Guest List Size
Over-preparing for holiday meals often leads to excess food waste. Plan your recipes based on the number of guests attending. Adjust portions and measurements to avoid “plate waste” and ensure that guests can take home leftovers if needed. Proper planning helps minimize food waste and ensures a more efficient holiday meal.
Anticipate Leftovers
Leftovers are inevitable during the holidays, but they don't have to go to waste. Here are some ideas:
- Send guests home with leftovers.
- Freeze leftovers for later use. Soups, meats, potatoes, and vegetables freeze well.
- Repurpose leftovers into new recipes like turkey sandwiches and soups.
Donate Excess Goods
Food insecurity is a year-round issue. Consider donating unopened, non-perishable goods to local food banks. You can also look into volunteer opportunities for hunger relief during the holiday season. Many food banks and pantries seek volunteers and offer special programs during this time.
Get Creative In The Kitchen
Use leftover bones or vegetable scraps to make broth. If you have leftover squash stems, compost them with a Karfo composter. Toast extra squash seeds for a tasty snack or salad topping.
Compost Your Food Scraps
Composting reduces organic food waste and carbon footprint. When food goes to a landfill, it produces harmful methane gas. Composting with Karfo transforms food scraps into nutritious plant soil. Use Karfo to compost meat and vegetable scraps during the holiday season, turning waste into valuable fertilizer.
Preventing food waste is crucial for conserving natural resources. Composting with Karfo is a simple process that takes care of the hard work. Just press a button, and Karfo will handle the rest in a maximum of 20 hours.
You may also want to know:
