do you throw away much food?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Milk mostly and only

[sarah]

After I was widowed I stopped cooking for a while and a lot of food was wasted Now that I don't live alone anymore less food is wasted and any scraps tend to go to the dog.

[LuxLiving]

No we don't waste much food at all. I work hard at using up what I buy. The occasional vegetable may get by me, but usually I spot it before then and get it chopped and in the freezer for soup.

[donlat3]

I am horrible with this. I never finish something before it goes bad.

[paymydebt]

No I don't throw away food and try to conserve. When you are on a tight budget you can't afford to do so. Plus it's wrong to waste when there are people less fortunate who are going hungry.

[wincrasher]

95% of the time I throw out leftovers. Only if something was especially good or was expensive will I save it.

Like if I have a leftover steak - I'll put it in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer.

Or if I make a big pot of chili with the intention of putting it in containers to use later.

But leftovers from a normal dinner go in the dumper. There usually is very little left, normally just a few ounces of each thing. I'm not saving 3 spoonfuls of green beans. The trick is just not to make too much to begin with.

My bigger problem is perfectly good food in the pantry going past it's expiration date. I'm constantly going thru it to put in the donation box before it goes bad.

But leftover I don't know what in a tupperware from who know's when? Gross.

[MTLaura]

Originally Posted by Staceyy

They say the plastic green bags will prolong the life of your fruits and vegetables, but I've never tried them. Frozen leftovers often make their way into my homemade soups.

I bought some because the husband has become a picky eater lately. The trick is when you see moisture forming on the inside of those bags, you dump the fruits/veggies out, wipe the bag out, wipe the f/v's, put them back in and they will last longer. If you don't wipe out the moisture.....lost produce....voice of experience!
IDLaura

[kenyantykoon]

throwing away food is an unspeakable abomination of abominations; in all the fullness of the words. i dont want to be struck down with lightning by God for throwing away the stuff he so graciously gave me to eat

[Miss Curly]

I was throwing away so much produce and bread that I finally invested in specialty storage containers. "Freshvac" for produce, "Desidry" for bread, crackers and tomatoes.

Now I am actually able to take advantage of sale produce (when red peppers and asparagus go on sale for instance) and buy more than I normally would because the containers do help keep food from spoiling as quickly.

[lynclarke]

It is a rare day when I throw anything out!! Disney guy, of course you can buy two stalks of bok choy. Just walk up and take off two stalks from the whole "head", and put them in a plastic bag!! I do it all the time.

My husband's favorite night of the week is "leftover" night. He loves getting a medley of things on his plate. If we have any little bits of leftovers, either the cats get them or my husband's fishing "bugs" get them!! Those bugs will strip clean a corncob or chicken bones!!

On average, I would guess we do not throw out one item a month!

[mikesaver]

We've gotten a lot better at this but there's still room for improvement. We've always done the leftover thing but sometimes things get lost in the back of the fridge and we forget they are there. And since we have a newborn and my father in law has some health issues, there's a lot of night's that don't go according to plan.

[rob62521]

Thanksgiving is coming...perfect time to practice not throwing out food and making stuff with leftovers! Anyone want to share leftover ideas? I know I'm making a turkey and stuffing casserole with leftover stuff.

[Donna73]

I waste wayyyyyy too much, mainly cooked meats if DH opens a pack an does'nt put it in a ziploc bag, it goes dry. Bread i always freeze and take out what i need, fresh veg gets wasted if i shop on a thursday cos we tend to have take-out at the weekends!!

[whaddadeal]

It is tough to throw out food. Produce peelings, egg shells, moldy bread, bones, and more all get mixed into the compost heap. Left-overs are frozen/stored for later. Meat/fat scraps and rendered fat get frozen and fed to the birds and other critters visiting my yard.

I try and give away processed foods that won't be used before the expiration dates - that's one I need to do better.

[Saving_spree]

I don't have to deal with this problem.As I estimate & cook

[anewday44]

It happens but not often as a shop once per week

[MoneyBagz]

I NEVER just throw away a good piece of food. If there is a piece of chicken that is still eadible, either I'd eat it or I would give it to my dog or something. I don't ever just throw it away and waste it.

[Mike75]

This is a problem in my home too. Kids waste too much food. But we are now teaching them to take small servings which they can finish easily.

[snafu]

Menu planning has been our most effective tool to use food effectively. Green leafy vegetables add a lot to Vietnamese style of cooking even though they have become limp. Asparagus is easily blanched and frozen for soup.
I keep a zip bag in the fridge freezer for a few tablespoons of leftover veggies which over a week will become sufficient for casserole, or pasta or rice, or to add to soup or stew.

This year I plan to make my own dog food as I dislike the filler used in commercial products.

[Slandgie]

OMG, this is one area we definitely need to work on LOL We probably throw out about 20%. Most of it is refrigerator stuff, ie produce and some meats...that's like taking $20 and burning it! ARRGGHHH!!!