One of the greatest ways we can care for creation is by being good stewards of our food. In the United States, 40% of the food we produce goes to waste, and 25% of all freshwater we consume goes to food no one ends up eating. So how can we address this issue?
We can grocery shop differently. We can become better informed about food waste in America. We can meal plan, eat more plants and less meat, and so on.
But without a little joy and a heaping spoonful of love, it can be hard to make a shift to a more sustainable way of life. The summer months are a great time to celebrate the gifts of the harvest and make some intentional changes for good—both for the environment and for our bodies.
While keeping in mind the bleak statistics about why food waste is bad, let’s turn our attention to how better food management is good. God called all of his creation good. God prepared a feast in a garden and made food for us to enjoy, with 100,000 different flavors to taste, so why should we let any of them go to waste?
Here are some fun and creative ways to put a new spin on the problem of food waste.
Family Leftover Challenge
Combined with our family’s efforts to be more intentional about Sabbath, our family has made Sundays leftover day. Instead of cooking on Sundays, we usually do a fridge and cabinet clean-out.
You can also make the meal a challenge—encourage each family member to create a meal using the leftovers from the fridge. Who can come up with the most creative dish?
Zero-Waste Cooking Night
Part of the challenge of food waste is that we don’t always use as much of our ingredients as we could. Choose one night a week to cook a meal using every part of the ingredients, such as vegetable peels, stems, and leaves. For some ideas to get you started, visit Zero Waste Chef’s recipe index.
Mystery Ingredient Cooking Competition
We all have five cans of something we thought we’d use up by now stacked in the corner of our pantry. Why not turn the ingredient you have in abundance or that is just about to expire into a mystery ingredient cooking competition?
Pickles, Jams, Preserves, and Freezer Food
Fruits and vegetables that are just about on their way out can have their life extended and made into delectable dishes, and your kids can get in on it too.
You can pickle all kinds of vegetables besides cucumbers (psst, that’s what pickles are). Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to Pickling that can help you get started.
Overripe fruits are great for making homemade jams and preserves, too.
If you’re like me, though, and it just isn’t the season for making all your own pickles and jams, make a habit of freezing the fruits or vegetables you think might go to waste fresh. Then, when it’s time for a delicious summer fruit smoothie or a vegetarian fajita dinner, I’ve got the season’s fresh fruits and vegetables frozen and prepared in the freezer.
Produce Shelf Gardening and Composting
Have you seen how you can regrow vegetables from kitchen scraps? Your kids will be in awe of all the vegetables that can come back to life with a little bit of extra effort. Try growing green onions, celery, and lettuce.
Another great way to get your kids involved in reducing food waste is by starting a small compost bin in your kitchen or backyard. This reinforces the idea of food waste and can really open your family’s eyes to how much stuff we throw away.
Plus, instead of rotting in a plastic bag in a landfill, your compost can regenerate the nutrients in your own soil.
Farmer’s Market Meal Planning
Image: Anna Preble
Reverse engineer your grocery list by going to the farmer’s market first. When you make the farmer’s market your first stop, you get the pick of the most local, fresh, and nutritious produce. Instead of shopping for your meal plan, go home with your produce and plan your meal based on what you bought.
I tend to get into a food rut, and this activity can really shake up your summer meal plan!
DIY Snacks and Treats
It seems like if I don’t cut them up, the kids can’t actually see the fruits and vegetables in the fridge. Magic happens when I slice and dice the produce! Suddenly, everyone wants an apple!
If this is the case in your house and you still have leftover produce, you can make snacks like granola bars, fruit leather, or vegetable chips. Encourage your kids to make smoothies or juices with those overripe fruits and veggies—they might be surprised by what they end up liking… and it’s a sneaky way to get them to eat their greens.
Community Leftover Night
Let’s be honest, there’s a limit to how many nights in a row you can eat the same leftovers, even for the most bottom-feeding parents out there. If it’s obvious you are going to be eating chili, curry, rice, or some other dish every night for the next week, consider planning a community leftover night.
Instead of making everyone prepare a fresh dish, invite your friends or family to bring their leftovers for a potluck. This way, everyone gets to try something new and no one has to feel guilty tossing leftovers into the trash or compost. Plus, you get the joy of a shared meal with virtually no prep whatsoever!
You could make this a monthly thing and add something new to look forward to in your social calendar!
What ideas do you have that bring joy and delight to your sustainable dinner table? Add them to the comments in Root & Vine’s Instagram feed.