HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (TENNESSEE VALLEY LIVING) - April 1st kicked off Earth Month and if you’re looking for a way to reduce your footprint, Lauren Hooper has some ideas!
Buy exactly what you need for the week instead of a bulk bag of perishables
Grocery stores over bulk bins that allow you to buy just what you need and nothing else. So when you need sliced almonds, dates, or garam masala seasoning for a recipe, you can buy what you need and nothing more.
Know how to store your food properly so it doesn’t spoil
Enlist your household members to decant, repackage, and store away food when you get home from the grocery store.
“We love fresh green beans, but they spoil quickly so I end up throwing them in the freezer immediately since they taste just as good when cooked and are cheaper/per ounce than frozen,” said Lauren.
Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and avocados, should be kept away from sunlight and not stored in plastic. Also, don’t store your potatoes and onions in the same container - they produce gases that cause the other to spoil.
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Go grocery shopping more often
Buy just what you need for a few days, and make sure to eat it all before your next trip. I
“I know I’m not the only person to plan and purchase a week plus of meal ingredients, only to end up snacking on the go, hitting up the Chick-fil-A drive-through, or going to Taco Mama last minute with friends and then some of my ingredients are prepared in time,” said Lauren.
3-4 days’ worth of meals is often the sweet spot if you have the time to go grocery shopping twice/week. You can still plan ahead for what to buy, just split it into multiple trips.
Crowdsource new ingredients instead of buying them
“If I’m trying out a new recipe that calls for 1 tsp of fish sauce and I’ve never used fish sauce before, I’m not going to the grocery store, I’m getting on the group chat and asking my friends or neighbors if I can snag a teaspoon. I bet whoever has that niche ingredient will be excited to share it with you, tell you how they use it, or give you other related tips for your recipe.”
Get used to seeing an empty pantry and refrigerator
“When my husband and kids open the fridge and exclaim ‘We have no food!’, that is my moment to shine.”
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American refrigerators are huge so we want to see them full and feel that abundance and safety. When really a half-empty fridge and emergency stores of food (for weather-related emergencies) are all we need.
BONUS: go the extra mile and start a backyard compost
Inevitably you won’t eat everything. Those banana peels and coffee grounds need to go somewhere. Instead of the landfill where they create methane gas when they break down, learn the basics of composting so your food waste can feed the soil and not the trash can.
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