% of Waste!

[rachellepeters]

Just wanted to share.

I read today that the average household allows 14% of their food to go to waste and I felt that number was very very low.

Before I started couponing a couple months ago, I would seriously go to the store and when we came home with $100 worth of groceries (typically 6 whole bags lol) we would have to throw out stuff to make room and I always told my boyfriend...we throw out as much as we buy! AND WE SERIOUSLY DID! We probably let 50% of our stuff go to waste. Milk, cheese, MEAT (yes I said it!), frozen stuff. EVERY SHOPPING TRIP we threw out 2-3 bags worth of food BACK in the trash to make room for the new

The great thing with us now, is that we truly have not thrown out any food in 2 months and I'm so proud! Not only are we getting most everything for free, or darn close..we are actually eating it! maybe its because of the stockpiling and having anything you want at anytime??? Or maybe it's a new found attitude of making the most of everything?

What do you gals think your % of waste of food is in your household and do you think couponing has changed the amount of waste as well? It feels good I think about how we are actually EATING the stuff that is purchased now! :))

[enginerd]

It bothers me the amount of food that Americans throw away - so wasteful. I saw on a talk show a while back (Oprah, I think) a family that did just what you did. Bought groceries every week and threw away what was in the cupboards and fridge to make room. They were throwing away hundreds of dollars of food - packages of crackers opened but not finished, drinks not finished, produce not eaten, etc. From what I have seen it is much higher than the percent you quote - just go to any school cafeteria and see that better than 50% of the food there is thrown away. I would say that I throw away probably 10% of our food but I think I am on the low end of the spectrum. I send DS with a lunch from home almost everyday because I know he wouldn't eat most of the stuff served in the cafeteria. He knows he is to bring home anything he doesn't eat. Even if it is something that can't be eaten the next day, at least I know when I am sending him too much or something he won't always eat. I am trying to be even more careful this year - one of my resolutions. I made soup last night with mostly leftovers - just had to add some barley, beef bullion, and some spices. I have also been saving bread heels and other leftover bread to use in one of the several recipes I have that call for bread cubes. Sometimes it is hard to think of ways to use leftovers - anyone have any recipes for leftover little smokies, pepper cheese, and summer sausage.

[gettinrevvin2007]

Yes, couponing has helped us not throw so much food away.
If you have a small amount of veggies left, that aren't worth saving in the fridge, freeze them. Keep adding leftover veggies to, and then when you have enough, you can make stew.

Our fridge has a setting on it, for people that constantly open their fridge door. It keeps things really cold, even w/ people in it all day long. This keeps our food from spoiling as fast. So turning your fridge up might help...of course, not sure how that will affect your electric bill.

If I buy a stalk of celery, I chop some for sticks, and some for soups. The entire stalk gets cut up. I then take the chopped celery, wrap in foil, and then place in a Ziploc Twist' n Loc and put in the freezer, and pull out as I need some. No more slimy celery for me. Can't stand to clean messes like that up.

enginerd: How 'bout some enchiladas w/ that pepper jack? I usually buy mild ground sausage to use in my lasagna. Can you use your summer sausage the same way, perhaps?

[foggierbard9]

We are getting better about not throwing stuff out and using up leftovers. Not sure I can attribute it all to couponing but more to budgetting and financial constraints. I try to menu plan and either freeze the leftovers is it is a lot for another meal or eat them for lunch the next day. It has really kept me accountable to what we are/aren't eating so I only buy what we will use if it is perishable.

Ideas for meals, with the little smokies you could make a jambalaya and put those in. With the cheese you could make one of those impossibly easy bisquick pies, could even put the smokies and cheese in it, or make a cornbread and put the cheese in the batter before you bake it. The summer sausage I'm not too sure about, but you could probably make a chili and add it to it with your other meat.

[Cynthiabutterfly]

I agree that amount sounds WAY low. There is always a kid that won't eat his crust (plus the heel no one wants) then there is the piece that ends up on the floor, the time that stuff got burnt, the crushed chips and crackers at the bottom of the bag, that stuff you bought that looked good but was so gross the dog wouldn't eat it, spilled milk, the end of the coke bottle (I know some people that have a car literally FULL of half-drank cokes) I could go on all day- and that doesn't even touch the stuff that was left on the plate, or put in the fridge for 'later' and later never happened.

I'd say it's in the 40%-50% range. Personally, after I started couponing I've made it a goal to not waste, and I still have somewhere in the neighborhood of 25% because of some of the above reasons. I would be higher, but I have a goat/garbage disposal of a dog and my 2yo thinks it's hilarious to ask me for a snack, then give it to the dog.

[enginerd]

Thanks ladies for the ideas. I made jambalya with the little smokies tonight (found a recipe for Easy Cajun Jambalya on AllRecipes) and it was a big hit. I think I'll make enchiladas tomorrow with the cheese (I have some leftover tortillas in the freezer).

[Alleynn]

There is a few things my family wast but not to much. My cat is in love with bread so i have to hide it from him. But at least once a month he finds a loaf of bread and he eats what he wants and leaves me the rest. ( So nice of him). Makes me want to scream. He would rather have bread then a can of cat food.
My hubby works horrible hours. 12 hours a day for 8 days straight then hes off for 7 days. The days he works I load his lunch box up with what ever the dinner was from the night before and what ever snacks I think he would like. He works 6pm to 6am so i dont get to see him much and he doesnt get to eat dinner with us that week. so when he is home he will pick one night and make a very large meal for us. To big for us most of the time and sometimes that food will go to wast or the animals will get a treat. But he will stand in front of the fridge and eat what ever he can before he goes to work. so i don't have much wast from the fridge. lol. Pour guy ..

[motherofmolly]

i would say yes. i do throw out less now then i did before coupons. i think it is because i am more conscious of the cost of the item. i also try harder now to use leftovers very quickly and if we will not eat leftovers, i freeze them. i go thru my freezer more and move items to the front that have been in there longer, i do this as soon as i bring frozen items home

anything we do not eat, i put in as extras for the dogs. so i try not to waste even the little we dont eat. bread (ends) go out for the birds

[APACHETEAR]

Originally Posted by enginerd I have also been saving bread heels and other leftover bread to use in one of the several recipes I have that call for bread cubes. Sometimes it is hard to think of ways to use leftovers - anyone have any recipes for leftover little smokies, pepper cheese, and summer sausage.

I save bread and try to make croutons, or add them to soup in place of crackers. If I have wilted produce or stale nuts or crackers, I toss them into the woods (not possible for city folks!). The thing I would do with smokies and pepper cheese is make red beans and rice, dirty rice or a gumbolaya type recipe. A can of tomatoes, some spices (cumin, garlic, red pepper...). Serve with rice.

I too am trying to waste less food. We still throw some out. Something gets pushed back in the fridge and the date on sour cream will catch us by surprise. Or, we will need a small amount of cream for a recipe, and the rest will go to waste if I have a busy week. My husband takes leftovers to work for lunch everyday. DD takes lunch everyday but Friday, but she is very picky. The thing we waste the most is lunch meat. It goes bad so quickly. I have resolved to buy 1 pound in 2 half pound packages, and freeze one.

[mama22qts]

Question for ya'll that save veggies and stuff.

What about leftovers that are cooked? I'm thinking black-eye peas or butter beans, etc. Or collard greens. When all you have is a couple of spoonfuls of something like that, do you still save it?