Smart guide to reducing food waste | members only

18. EAT ITEMS WITH SHORTER SHELF LIVES FIRST Hearty produce (apples, pears, beets, carrots, garlic, onions, potatoes and winter squashes) has a longer shelf life, so plan to eat items like

berries, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms and summer squash earlier in the week. “Arrange your refrigerator to help keep your plan on track,” says Synkoski, who recommends placing

items with a shorter shelf life where you can see them, so they remind you to pick them first. 19. STORE FRESH HERBS PROPERLY Herbs tend to have a shorter shelf life, so try to prepare

recipes using them within a few days of grocery shopping. If you frequently use herbs in your cooking, De La Hoz suggests growing them in your yard or having small plants in your kitchen

for easy access. It’s also easy to freeze herbs for later use. “Whirl fresh basil and olive oil in a blender or food processor and pour into ice cube trays,” Shrader says. “Once frozen,

transfer basil cubes to an airtight freezer-proof container.” When you’re ready to use the basil, toss a cube or two directly into a hot pot or frying pan in place of plain olive oil to add

a punch of flavor to sautéed winter veggies, potatoes or a stew. Getty Images STORAGE AND USAGE 20. LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT EXPIRATION DATES According to a survey published in 2023, a third

of American households often or always throw away food based on the date on the packaging. Other research shows that consumers are frequently confused by “sell by,” “use by” and “best

before” dates on labels. (According to the USDA, “sell by” tells the store when it should remove a product from the shelves, “use by” is the recommended date to use the product while it’s

still at peak quality, and “best before” describes when a product will be at its best flavor or quality.) Unfortunately, there are currently no federal standards for date labels on food

products. “In most cases, date labels are about food quality, not safety,” says Dana Gunders, president of ReFED, a national nonprofit working exclusively to end food loss and waste across

the food system, and author of _Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food_. “Use your best judgment when it comes to date labels — if it looks

good, smells good and tastes good, it’s probably OK to consume after the date. For example, eggs are generally good to eat four to five weeks after the date on the carton.” To double-check

an egg, put it in a pot of water; if it sinks to the bottom, it’s still fresh. 21. KNOW WHICH PRODUCE GETS STORED WHERE Some items last longer when refrigerated, while others do better at

room temperature. “In general, most fruits and vegetables last longer when they’re refrigerated, although some (like bananas and melons) should ripen on the counter first, and others

(onions, squash, potatoes, tomatoes) shouldn’t go into the fridge at all,” Gunders says. According to Lawrence, when storing vegetables like carrots, celery or fresh herbs, place them in

your fridge in a glass of water like a bouquet of flowers to help them stay crispy for longer. For other specific storage recommendations, consult the comprehensive chart on

SaveTheFood.com/storage. For a wide range of food safety tips including storage, check out FoodSafety.gov. And the USDA’s Nutrition.gov site is also chock-full of advice for storing food. 

22. SET YOUR FRIDGE TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE Gunders says the colder the temperature, the less hospitable the environment is for bacteria and enzymes that can make your food go bad. The

target temperature for your refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s too cold, delicate foods like salads can freeze. If it’s too warm, the food can spoil more quickly or

pose a health risk. If your fridge simply has a dial that reads “cold” and “coldest,” use a thermometer to determine the correct setting. 23. LEARN YOUR WAY AROUND YOUR FRIDGE Your

refrigerator is not a single consistent temperature. “Since heat rises, a refrigerator is generally coldest on the bottom and gets warmer as you go up, with the warmest area being the door,”

Gunders says. She suggests using the warmer upper shelves for less risky items like leftovers, drinks, yogurt and snacks. Use the colder bottom shelf for meat, poultry, fish and other food

with a higher safety risk. Crisper drawers serve two functions: First, they create different humidity zones within the fridge. Second, they allow different treatments of products that could

benefit from more airflow. Designate one as a low-humidity drawer (for fruits and vegetables that rot more easily) and another as a high-humidity drawer (for vegetables more likely to wilt).

If the drawers in your fridge aren’t adjustable, just leave one open a crack for your low-humidity drawer. The door is the warmest part of your fridge, since it gets a dose of

room-temperature air every time you open it. It’s a good place for condiments and anything that’s not even moderately perishable. 24. TOSS IT OR EAT IT? Most foodborne illnesses come from

contamination, not from the natural process of decomposition, Gunders says. She adds that browning (like on apples and avocados), discolored greens, scars, staleness, wilting or wrinkling

are generally harmless. (If your produce is bruised, promptly cut the bruise off and it should be fine.) Things to toss include green potatoes, mold spots (cut at least a half-inch off

before eating the rest) and rancid foods (like nuts or oils). 25. CONDUCT A WASTE AUDIT Despite the best intentions, some food is wasted each week. A waste audit is the best way to figure

out what and how much you waste — and therefore where you should focus your waste reduction efforts. Gunders suggests auditing yourself for at least two weeks. Keep a daily log of any edible

item you throw out, the quantity discarded, the reason it was tossed and its approximate value. After two weeks, look at which items come up most frequently and which ones cost the most.

Consider how you could have avoided the waste (bought too much, didn’t use it in time, grabbed takeout too often, didn’t know how to cook it, didn’t store it properly, never felt like eating

it, etc.) so you can identify ways to change. 26. DONATE TO A FOOD PANTRY Food pantries are always looking to accept donated groceries to help struggling seniors and families. Consider

donating fresh food, pasta, canned beans and tuna, rice and cooking oil. Getty Images SHELF-STABLE PRODUCTS 27. ORGANIZE YOUR PANTRY To avoid food waste, establish an organizational system

for boxed and canned goods. “Make sure that you are using a first-in-first-out pantry system to consume your shelf-stable food at its peak freshness,” Shrader says. “However, don’t

immediately throw out your shelf-stable food if you find something past its best-by date.” 28. MOVE SPICES AND OILS AWAY FROM LIGHT AND HEAT Don’t store oils and spices near the hot stove or

sunlight. They can dry out, go rancid or lose flavor faster. Move them to a cooler, darker spot, like your pantry. Not sure if your olive oil has gone rancid? There’s an easy test: “Place a

drop of olive oil on the palm of your hand and rub your hands together vigorously for about 10 seconds,” Shrader says. “Then smell your palms. If there is a pleasant green-grass aroma, your

olive oil is still fresh.” If the aroma is more pungent, almost like turpentine, your olive oil has turned, so don’t consume it. However, don’t toss it — it’s still good for household tasks

like oiling noisy door hinges. 29. TOSSING EXCESS PACKAGING? LABEL EVERYTHING CLEARLY If you follow the social media trend of storing pasta and cereals in aesthetically pleasing containers,

be sure to label them clearly so you know what they are and when you bought them. “And most important, be sure to include labeling for all dry goods that need to be cooked, indicating

cooking times and/or liquid measurements per cup,” Shrader says. “No one wants mushy pasta or rice floating in unnecessary liquid.” 30. KEEP AN EYE ON CONDIMENTS Most condiments are shelf

stable until opened, so double-check the packaging to see if they need to be refrigerated. According to the USDA, here’s how long open condiments in the fridge should last: six months for

ketchup and cocktail sauce, 12 months for mustard, one to three months for pickles and two weeks for olives. “To avoid having to throw out crusty ketchup or moldy mayo, do not be seduced by

super-sized condiments at big-box stores,” Shrader says. “Generally, try to buy the smallest-sized condiment bottles and jars you can. Your condiments will be fresh and ready for use and

very little, if any, will be wasted.” Getty Images FROZEN FOODS 31. BUY FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGGIES Studies show that frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh. “And in

some cases, they’re more nutritious, since they don’t lose nutrients along the way from the farm to your table,” Gunders says. By keeping frozen produce on hand, each week you’ll only need

to buy a handful of fresh produce that you know you’ll eat, and you can save yourself a trip to the store if you run out. 32. PREP YOUR FOOD FOR THE FREEZER “Your freezer is a magic pause

button that lets you store food for long periods of time without feeling the pressure of eating it quickly,” says Gunders, noting that pretty much anything can be frozen. If you plan to

freeze something for more than a few days, she says it’s important to prep that food properly. For example, blanch vegetables and some fruits to maintain color and quality. (Blanching

involves scalding produce with boiling water or steam for a short time, then quickly cooling it in ice or cold water.) Additionally, separate moist items like berries by first spreading them

on a baking sheet in the freezer for half an hour before bagging them so they don’t clump together, and puree watery produce like tomatoes for future sauces and smoothies. Finally, a fatty

piece of meat is more likely to go rancid, so trim the fat off and wrap the meat well using plastic wrap or freezer paper, then a layer of aluminum foil (you can also seal it in a zip-top

freezer bag). Be sure to remove all the air to avoid freezer burn. 33. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR FREEZER INVENTORY While your freezer may serve as a magic pause button, it’s not a forever button.

Quality does deteriorate over time, so Gunders says you should eat frozen foods within a few months. For specific items, follow this cold foods storage chart from the U.S. Department of

Health & Human Services.