The holidays mean friends, family, and lots of food. I’m very excited to eat Thanksgiving dinner of mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, warm apple pie, and more for breakfast, lunch, and dinner days afterward!
But with the holidays also comes food waste—and lots of it. In fact, approximately 200 million pounds of turkey, 150 million pounds of veggie sides, and 14 million pounds of dinner rolls will be thrown away after Thanksgiving, which is nothing to celebrate.
Here are 8 ways to reduce Thanksgiving food waste…
The Dinner Menu
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Simplify the Dinner Menu
I like to simplify my dinner menu and make a Zero Waste shopping list. Rather than cooking up a feast that could feed an entire football team, I focus on just a few dishes. I suggest one showstopper main, a few side dishes, dinner rolls (because no holiday meal is complete without those!), and a dessert. Trust me, nobody will miss all of that extra fluff.
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Focus on Zero Waste Recipes
Need some inspiration? Check out my Butternut Squash Spread recipe
here, and see what Zero Waste Chef, Anne-Marie, suggests here!
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Make a Shopping List
Those “I can’t remember if I have this at home, so I’ll just buy it in case” purchases can really add up. The secret to successfully reducing waste is…
drum roll please…planning ahead! Make a shopping list and check it twice to ensure that you’re only buying what you really need.
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Buy Locally
Buy what you can locally (
think: farmers markets, CSA boxes, etc) and without packaging. Check out this article to see how I shop for groceries without creating any waste!
The Leftovers
Leftovers are a quintessential part of the holidays (and quite frankly, they’re my favorite part!) I love sending guests home with extra food, and not having to cook for myself the rest of the week. But having too many leftovers (that you’ll just end up throwing away) is a big no no. Here are tips to avoid that…
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Don’t over purchase
Again, only buy what you’ll actually eat. Don’t over purchase food just for the sake of it!
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Share leftovers!
Sharing is caring — send your guests home with leftovers! Rather than opting for toxic plastic Tupperware, choose glass or metal containers and jars. It also makes for the perfect excuse to see them again to get your containers back! 😉 And if you’re attending a Thanksgiving dinner, go prepared by bringing a few containers and jar with you.
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Store leftovers probably
By storing food properly, it can extend the life of your leftovers, which means you’ll have more time to eat it, and will throw less away.
Airtight stainless steel containers, reusable silicone bags, and mason jars are great for storing leftovers and extra chopped up produce (as seen in my fridge!) You can also freeze your leftovers to extend their life even more, but if you’re freezing something in a mason jar, just be sure to leave a few inches at the top to allow for expansion. If you have leftover greens, keep them fresh by wrapping them in a damp reusable towel and then store them in a sealed container.
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Compost whatever you’re unable to eat or giveaway
Composting will allow your leftovers to breakdown properly, unlike in a landfill where they’ll produce methane gas (learn more food scraps in landfills
here). If you’re curious about composting at home, check out this article to learn more, and the compost bin from Package Free!
What are your tips and tricks for reducing food waste around the holidays?
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