NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Open your fridge and what do you see? Lots of leftovers?
A lot of us have stuff in our fridge that we're never going to eat and it eventually winds up in the trash. But throwing away uneaten food is just like throwing money away and who can really afford to do that, especially these days with food prices as high as they are?
So what can you do? Here are some ideas.
Consumer Reports home editor and classically trained chef, Paul Hope, will do just about anything to keep his food from going in the garbage.
“One of my biggest pet peeves is wasting food. Not only is it a total waste of money, it just seems unethical to me," Hope said. "So, I go to great lengths to do whatever I can to use stuff up before it goes bad.”
He recently repurposed leftover pork to make several different meals for the week, something he does often.
“Beef stew as a future topping on nachos is a classic, hot dog buns into a dessert—that’s another great option…hamburger buns for grilled cheese,” Hope added.
Another great tip for saving—meal planning. When mapping out meals for the week, Paul often buys in bulk and buys frozen so he can just thaw the portion he needs.
One way he makes sure expensive proteins can be used for different dishes throughout the week.
“I keep food as plain as possible, as long as possible. Because once you alter the flavor of something you really can’t undo that,” he said.
Then add the unique seasonings to the portion you need for the day’s meal. Round out the meal with any veggies you may have that are almost past their prime.
When it comes to storing food, Consumer Reports says keeping groceries in the right shelves and bins in your fridge can help cut down on food waste and save you money.
“For your more expensive grocery items, such as meat and eggs, you want to store them on the lower shelves inside your refrigerator, which tend to be coldest,” said Consumer Reports Dan Wroclawski.
And don’t be afraid to use your freezer. Something like bread is going to last a lot longer when it’s frozen.
Consumer Reports says you can also save your fridge door for items like butter and condiments instead of milk or eggs. That’s because temperatures on your refrigerator door tend to be a few degrees higher than the inside shelves.
