reduce food waste

9 Nutritious Meals to Make with Thanksgiving Leftovers

Now that Thanksgiving Day is in the books, you might be wondering what the heck to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge. Whether you were the host or a guest, chances are you ended up with at least some remnants from the biggest food holiday of the year. If you were a guest—lucky you—maybe you took home some of mom’s famous stuffing or shaved turkey for making sandwiches. If you were brave enough to host this year, you were likely left with whatever you couldn’t convince your guests to take home. Either way, if you’ve got Tupperware and baggies of food taking up precious real estate in the fridge, you don’t want any of it to go to waste. If you’re looking for creative and healthy ways to use up what’s left of Thanksgiving dinner, we’ve got a few healthy recipes to help you clean out your fridge and turn those random leftovers into savory meals. Soup’s On! Soup dishes are always great during the colder months, but they’re especially perfect for when you really don’t want to think about cooking anymore. The day after Thanksgiving (and for several days after that), you might just not feel like putting a lot of effort into cooking. We feel you and soups are the perfect solution. Got leftover carrots, celery and onions? You’re well on your way to making this Creamy Mushroom And Farro Soup, a perfect recipe for lunch or dinner to use up some of the extra veggies in your fridge. Farro is high in protein and fiber, and carrots contain the beneficial carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are shown to protect healthy cells in the eyes. You can also add in some leftover turkey and any other vegetables you have around. White Bean Soup with Spicy Sausage is a great way to use all that leftover butternut squash. And the best part? This hearty soup is easy to prepare and provides an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. If you love chili, you’ll fall hard for this Salsa Chili. It’s a perfect way to use up some of that leftover turkey. Just grind it up, add some kidney beans and cashews, a bit of salsa, a few spices, and voila! You’ve got yourself a healthy bowl that’s also full of flavor. Brunch, Anyone? While you may not feel like having a huge breakfast after practically eating yourself into a food coma, it’s important to get in your protein, just like any other day. Whether you eat first thing in the morning or decide to do brunch on Friday, these leftover recipes will hit the spot. The best thing about this Simple Frittata is how flexible the ingredients are. It’s really up to you what to include. So, grab whatever roasted or fresh veggies you have in the fridge, add in some protein and cheese, and you’re golden. Still have a house full of guests and not sure what to feed them? This super-healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Bread will not disappoint. Plus, it’s dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian, so it’s perfect for anyone with food allergies or intolerances looking for breakfast options besides eggs. Sweet Potatoes, FTW! There are so many things you can make with leftover sweet potatoes, it’s almost impossible to run out of recipe ideas. Here are just a couple of our favorite side dishes to try with this uber tuber. Buying too many sweet potatoes isn’t such a bad thing when you can turn them into these nutrient-dense Baked Sweet Potato Fries. They’re sure to be a new favorite. Remember to leave the skin on, as that’s where you’ll get most of the nutrients from. If you’re looking for something a little heartier that also has a ton of protein, try this Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake, made with chicken sausage. It’s a quick, easy, and delicious way to use your leftover spuds. Leftover Favorites We all have our favorite leftover recipes, but these two are always a big hit. They’re easy to make, and when you add in veggies and play with the ingredients a bit, the result is actually pretty healthy. First up: Thanksgiving Leftover Pizza. Swap out tomato sauce for cranberry, add whatever leftovers you’ve got for toppings, and you’ve got yourself a meal. Easy, healthy, delicious, and creative. Another fun option? A healthy twist on the classic grilled cheese. We totally get that Turkey Grilled Cheese might not sound like the healthiest thing to make with your leftovers, but it can be. Take it easy on the cheese, swap out white bread with sprouted grain, sourdough, or rye, add in tomatoes and pesto for veggies, and, of course, pile on some turkey for protein. Now you’ve got an easy-to-make, balanced meal that everyone will love. Eating leftovers will not only clear your overcrowded fridge, but it’s also a great way to have a more sustainable holiday, while also experimenting with some fun new recipes while you’re at it. We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving and get to try out some different ways to use your leftovers. (Image: Shutterstock)

Do Produce-Saver Products Really Keep Food Fresh Longer?

We’ve all had the disheartening experience of having to throw away expensive fruits and vegetables because we didn’t use them quickly enough. No one likes to waste money, of course. But there’s even more at stake with food waste. We throw away a shocking percentage of the food we produce. That’s especially tragic when you consider how many people around the world experience hunger on a daily basis. Hunger and food insecurity are not just issues faced by developing nations. Here in the United States, the richest nation in the world, more than 10% of households struggle to put food on the table. And that number has increased by 66% since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Right now, 50 million people (including 17 million children) in the U.S. do not have enough to eat on a regular basis. No matter where you live, if you’re fortunate enough (as I have been) to have weathered this year-long crisis without worrying about how you’ll feed yourself and your family, perhaps you’ll join me in donating to your local food bank or an organization like FeedingAmerica.org. If you or someone you know is experiencing hunger or food insecurity, you don’t have to go it alone. If you are in the U.S., FeedingAmerica.org can help connect you with resources in your area. Food waste is also a major player in climate change. Rotting food is responsible for almost 10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. In fact, if food waste were a country, it would come in third after the United States and China in terms of impact on global warming. And fresh produce makes up about a third of all the food we throw away. If food waste were a country, it would come in third after the United States and China in terms of impact on global warming. All of which is to say: If a $10 product could keep us from throwing away so much food, it would be money well spent. And I’m happy to report that there is some solid science to support these products. But their usefulness may be a bit more targeted than the marketing sometimes suggests. What does ethylene do? Ethylene is a harmless gas that is released or “exhaled” by fruits and vegetables. In general, ethylene production increases as fruits ripen and ethylene, in turn, accelerates the ripening process. When we put unripe fruit in a paper bag, the idea is to trap some of the ethylene the produce gives off to hasten the ripening process. This works especially well for apricots, bananas, mangoes, tomatoes, avocados, and melons. But once the fruit is ripe, continued exposure to ethylene can cause it to become overripe and start to rot. Ethylene can also speed the decline of other types of produce. According to horticultural scientist Kathleen Brown of Penn State University, ethylene can cause carrots and parsnips to get bitter, broccoli and kale to turn yellow, cucumbers and summer squash to get soft, asparagus to turn tough, apples to get mealy, and lettuce to wilt. Herbs such as parsley and mint are also sensitive to ethylene gas. Low temperatures reduce a plant’s sensitivity to ethylene, so keeping produce refrigerated will help to preserve it. In addition, you can use something to absorb ethylene gas. If your avocados get ripe before you need them, you can hold them for a few days by putting them in the fridge. I find it most effective to move them to the fridge when they’re still a day short of fully ripe, as some ripening will continue in the fridge. What is zeolite? Zeolite is a complex of minerals, including aluminum and silica, that is highly absorbent. It is used as a drying agent to suck moisture out of the air. (This is the stuff that makes clumping cat litter work.) But it also absorbs ethylene gas. Zeolites are widely used by food growers, shippers, and retailers to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by slowing down the ripening process. Produce-saving products that you may have seen in the consumer marketplace, such as the green produce bags or the hollow ball that you place in the crisper drawer of your fridge, contain zeolite. They are effective at absorbing ethylene and can prevent certain types of spoilage. These bags are reusable, but they will eventually lose effectiveness. You can also buy a rechargeable zeolite-filled ball to place in your crisper drawer to absorb ethylene gas. Do other things absorb ethylene? Gary also asked whether baking soda or activated charcoal might be effective at absorbing ethylene. I can’t find any data to suggest that baking soda would be useful. Activated charcoal can absorb ethylene, but not nearly as effectively as zeolite. Interestingly, the rechargeable ball (Bluapple) contains both zeolite and charcoal, but the manufacturer only mentions charcoal in their marketing. Perhaps they think charcoal sounds more natural and therefore more appealing to consumers. In terms of absorbing ethylene, I suspect the zeolite is doing the heavy lifting here. The charcoal may also have some odor-absorbing properties. Spoilage that produce bags won’t prevent Keeping your produce in special ethylene-absorbing bags may indeed extend its shelf-life. Keeping high-ethylene producers like apples and avocados quarantined from other produce can also help. But remember that ethylene is only one of the things that can shorten the life of your produce. An ethylene-absorbing bag won’t prevent moldy berries or slimy lettuce, for example. The best way to keep fruits and vegetables from going bad is to eat them promptly! Here’s a handy printable chart of the best way to store different types of produce. A version of this article was originally published on Quick and Dirty Tips.

5 Reasons To Grow Your Own Food From Food Scraps

Picture this…it’s a chilly night and you’ve decided to make a warming dinner of a hearty vegetable soup. You pull out your knife and cutting board and get to work. You chop a few potatoes and carrots, dice some celery and garlic, and slice a couple green onions. To finish it off, you pull out some parsley and basil for extra pizazz. Once everything is in the pot and the soup is simmering, you start to clean up and prepare to eat. You wash the knife, put the cutting board in the dishwasher, and pull out a bowl. Finally, you scoop all the vegetable scraps into a pile and throw them in the garbage – STOP! Stop right there. Those scraps are not trash! They’re full of life and potential! All of them. Even the carrot tops, Even the green onion roots. And even the extra sprig of basil. They all can be used to grow new plants. Often, the parts of fruits or vegetables that are thrown away are just what is needed to start a thriving garden. Here are my top five reasons to grow your own food from table scraps: IT’S A PERFECT ACTIVITY FOR KIDS I first learned about utilizing food scraps for gardening when I was serving in FoodCorps, an organization with the mission of connecting kids to healthy foods. This was a perfect activity to do with kids because it not only taught them about the importance of eating fresh produce, but it was also something they could easily do at home that provides a sense of empowerment. RELATED: 5 Ways to Cook With Food You’d Normally Toss YOU CAN DO IT IN ANY HOME You don’t need a back yard or even any soil. All that is needed is a piece of produce that was otherwise destined for the trash can. IT REDUCES WASTE The vision of FoodCorps is “to create a future in which all our nation’s children––regardless of race, place, or class––know what healthy food is, care where it comes from, and eat it every day.” This dream encapsulates many of the benefits of growing plants with kitchen scraps. It reduces waste and saves money, not to mention that it’s just downright fun. RELATED: 4 Simple Ways to Green Your Beauty Routine IT’S AN EASY AND AFFORDABLE ENTRY INTO GARDENING Now, let’s all admit it. Gardening is intimidating. Even after serving a year in FoodCorps and teaching kids how to garden, I’m still sometimes daunted by the prospect of growing my own plants. There are a variety of factors to consider when growing your own food: the type of soil to use, the kind of seed to buy, the amount of sunlight and water the plant will need, how much space the plant will take up, the temperature where it will grow best, and more. The beauty of kitchen scrap gardening is that it takes away many of these worrisome factors. There are no seeds to purchase, there’s little to no extra cost, and many vegetables can be started inside without any soil. IT ONLY TAKES FIVE STEPS Let’s look at the green onions that were used in preparing the soup. To regrow a green onion, all that needs to be done is to cut off the bottom couple inches of the onion above its roots, place the root piece in a small jar, and fill the jar with warm water so that the bottom half of the onion piece is covered. Then, the next steps are to place the jar in a sunny spot, replace the water every couple of days, and transfer the onion to a bigger jar when it outgrows the one that it’s in. The onion can be planted in soil after it has started growing, or it can be kept in water. Other vegetable scraps such as carrot tops or the base of a celery stalk can be used to start plants following the same steps. Now, you may be saying that it is all well and good to know how to regrow some vegetables, but what about other produce like tomatoes? There’s nothing to fear here either You can even grow plants from fruit scraps, too! When it comes to fruit, it’s all about the seeds. (Yes, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and many other “vegetables” are “technically” fruit.) The trick is to rinse the seeds, dry them completely, and save for planting. The seeds can be planted in a pot or outside in a garden. Easy, peasy. The next time you make soup or any other meal, don’t mindlessly throw away the parts of plants you don’t intend to use. When it comes to repurposing the odds and ends leftover from cooking, the limit is only what you can fit into the grocery cart. When it comes down to it, most produce items can be regrown. All it takes is a simple online search to find out how. And, the little bit of effort it takes is well worth it. There’s nothing more satisfying than eating food grown at home, especially when you’re reducing waste, improving your nutrition, and having fun at the same time. (photo credit: Shutterstock)