Half of all Wasted Food Comes From Our Homes.

This might be some tough meat to chew, but ReFed, a data driven nonprofit committed to reducing food waste, recently released a new study that shows that half of all wasted food comes from peoples’ homes.

While many do a great job keeping waste low, it’s important that we all refresh ourselves on the steps to reducing food waste at home.

Step 1: Shop With A List

Saving money doesn’t happen by accident. The average family of 4 wastes $1,800 a year on food they put in the trash. Start by planning a weekly menu. Then check your pantry for the items you might already have. What’s missing becomes a shopping list!

*Remember- don’t buy more perishable foods than can be used in the next week or two.

Step 2: Store Food Safely:

Frozen and packaged foods are easy to store purchases, but products, like apples and lettuce, can be tricky. Check out the Food Storage Guide to learn how to best store what you buy!

Step 3: Serve Creative Dishes:

Looking for some fun ways to use common items like making vegetable stock out of scraps? Find ideas and recipes on our blog!

Step 4: Share with Family and Friends:

Have a lot of leftover potatoes? Tired of eating them? Share them with a friend, family member or neighbor. There are dozens of people close by who will appreciate a home cooked meal!

Are you looking for a bigger way to share the bounty? Volunteer with a local pantry, soup kitchen, upcycling kitchen like LaSoupe or Food Rescue Partner like Last Mile Food Rescue.

Food is meant to be consumed and enjoyed. When we only buy what we need we have more money to invest in what we want.

Whether you’re planning your menu intentionally or upcycling radish greens into pesto, taking steps to reduce food waste will save time, energy and money! Remember to Shop, Store, Serve, and Share good food!

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 2 cups milk

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (*if you have lemons that go bad, wash and freeze them until you’re ready. They’ll be easier to Zest and turn into lemonade)

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ½ cup frozen blueberries (*If your blueberries are getting soft, wash and freeze until ready to bake into a dish)

• 1 tbsp butter or oil

Directions

1. Add ¼ cup lemon juice to milk and let curdle for 5 minutes.

2. In a bowl mix dry ingredients, milk and eggs.

3. Mix in blueberries and lemon zest.

4. Heat skillet to medium high with either oil or butter.

5. Fry until bubbles form on the top, flip and cook until browned.