24 EASY WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR FOOD WASTE | My Top Tips & Hacks for Beginners

[@SustainablyVegan]

WATCH NEXT: 100 Ways to reduce your food waste YOU HAVE TO TRY: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn-mnmWHZteNha8

[@moonlightdelight]

Cool!

[@sophiebrichards]

instead of juicing lemons and limes, i'd recommend just peeling them and blending them! get extra fiber & nutrients while reducing food waste

[@ladyhayley4859]

Sophie Richards oh shit. That's a great idea. You could also preserve the zest to add to pasta or sweet dishes!

[@HelloDeborahUK]

That was really helpful. I put all my veg peelings into a bag in my freezer and then when it’s full I use it to make a vegetable stock for dishes like risotto or a base for soup.

[@piperarcher9706]

SAME!

[@alinabelousova]

I do exactly the same. The first time though I made a mistake of putting onion skins in there and when the stock was cooked it had bitter taste. No skins this time. I would put carrot and parsnip peelings, and the hard part of brocolli ends - the soft part can be eaten, but the hard part is too stringy.

[@clarissas.7889]

What I started doing is to keep a little food waste "journal" just in the notes app of my phone. Actively confronting myself with my behavior and typing out why I wasted something helps me to reflect on it and to become more aware of the reasons I throw out certain things, so I can avoid it in the future - usually I don't use up things fast enough, so when I become aware of what these things are, I know to buy smaller quantities of them, or to come up with ways to use them up quicker or preserve them when planning my meals.

[@eden5327]

I just found an app called Plant Jammer that creates recipes based on what you have in your pantry. That's always the hard part for me. I buy one thing for a recipe and have a hard time figuring out what to do with the rest. The app also helps you learn how to balance flavors so you can get better at improvising meals. Highly recommend

[@ANJABALANJA1]

I just downloaded it and it blew my mind! Thank you so much for the recommendation!

[@LifeguardOutofWater]

If I’ve accidentally left some celery in my fridge too long and it’s gone all limp and soft I’ll cut off the bottom like I would normally if I was going to eat them and then I stick them in a mug of water. Give them a couple of hours in there and they perk right back up!

[@Sehkuhprinzessin]

this also works with radishes!

[@andreabowersox6318]

I love this! One thing I do quite often in the summer is make fruit salad for picnics. My kids don't like to eat the leftovers after being in the refrigerator for a couple days. They say it gets "too juicy". So, we blend it in the blender and freeze it to make homemade whole fruit popsicles.

[@almavogler]

that's a great tip. I also am not a fan of "old fruit salad" but fruit popsicles sound great!

[@Puzzlingitout]

Now that is a doable way to recuse waste. Great idea.

[@ukulelelena]

Store cilantro in water as well! Keeps like flowers, if you keep changing the water they keep for almost two weeks.

[@carolinarnquist9531]

I saw how your cupboard was neat with mason jars, and I paused the video to clean mine. It shows how inspiring having a neat environment can be for other people :)

[@almavogler]

the bananas! they ripened all my peaches, and I had to make an emergency peach crumble. not complaining though ... ;)

[@laurenpring8516]

I hope you get your herb garden! Everyone will benefit and it will smell amazing

[@johannaholmberg9107]

A tip is, when you want to buy bread, to visit your local bakery and check if they have and are willing to sell you "yesterdays bread". It´s a great way for you as a customer to save money and a great way for the bakery to make a few extra bucks on something they would have just thrown away as trash! :)

[@emeliasoderlund]

You are so talented !! xx My favourite tip was freezing the coconut milk. I've had problems with it going off in the fridge since I usually just use one half of a can. Didn't know you could freeze it, thanks!

[@vegemitegirl1971]

You should try that coconut milk in a fruit smoothie or used for a hot chocolate milk.

[@hannahfountain3595]

When vegetables and fruit start to turn bad, or when I'm left with small pieces I don't need to use, I chop and freeze it to either use later as stir fry or for the food I make for my parrot. Also, all my vegetable ends, peels, and cores are saved to make vegetable broth.

[@OprB17]

I freeze whole tomatoes if I'm not going to use them all. When back out of the freezer, run them under warm water and the skin comes right off. Not particularly good for salad, but great for soups, stews, or chili. Grape tomatoes can be frozen for a couple of weeks. They are okay on salad if still half frozen. Try one.

[@mountainfolkfiberarts]

Soaking banana peels in water for at least 48 hrs makes a good fertilizer spray for gardens

[@mult1coloured]

Very helpful video!! I unintentionally waste so much food because I often buy something on a whim and then never eat it or forget about it and it's so disappointing

[@ENVIELILLY]

A stale loaf of bread can be revived. Moisten the outside of loaf with water and pop in a preheated oven for a few minutes.

[@twothirdsanexplosive]

Moisten and microwave for 10 seconds also does the trick. Less intensive than oven too but I know some people don't have microwaves.

[@lgrbarnard2]

Love the tips. Now I know about storing carrots.

[@Hagwomacify]

Stir fry’s are an amazing way to use up a lot of spoiling veggies!

[@Ethendirhil]

Dunno if there's the equivalent in other countries, but in France, we have an app called "Too good to go" which enables the bakery shops, grocery stores and other shops to tell and sell for cheaper everything that was not sold on that day. I.e bread, sandwiches, pastries, etc. Never used it yet because I haven't been needing it but I think it's a great thing !

[@chekek]

this is such a brilliant idea, wish we had the same in the UK

[@TallyKerr]

There is the same in the UK in most cities, I know Newcastle does it for instance, and I'm sure London would!

[@ENVIELILLY]

In the UK we have an app called Olio

[@whats.normal.anyways]

Too good to go is also available in Germany :)

[@annamariaballerina1]

So so helpful! I’m a student but love to cook and I find myself wasting a lot of food when I get overexcited at the market and then have such a busy week I forget about it all and just eat cereal. The shopping list seems so simple but has rly revolutionized my kitchen organizaron !! Thanks girl :)

[@aymeahrens1283]

Surplus tomatoes are easy to dry in the oven with olive oil and herbs. Kale and spinach can be blended with a bit of water and frozen into cubes to add to smoothies, pasta sauce, etc. Peeled bananas are great to freeze for smoothies too, or thaw for breads/cookies.

[@jenn17k]

I really like adding a tsp of maca to my overnight oats! If you put a bit of sweetener, it will mask the stronger taste

[@greenviolet1921]

Thanks for posting this :) I may have to try that to use up the Maca powder I have, as it hasn't been touched since the first smoothie I put it in.

[@renee823]

Thank you for the freezing ripe fruit idea! Wonderful! If someone has a high speed blender, scraps can be blended with water and added directly to the garden.

[@ellasplanet6662]

I've been trying to convince my neighbors to start a community garden and a community compost bin. They are not to keen on the idea yet

[@ellasplanet6662]

I have not heard of permaculture before u mentioned it to me and googled it. It does sound like a good idea, seeing as everyone in my neighborhood is busy. Thanks for the idea! I'll bring it up. And with the compost, I was thinking about just getting a garbage bin, and use it for the garden, that way I can block smell :D Thanks again!

[@ellasplanet6662]

Juli Arr That's a good idea as well. The problem with that is the Home Owners association's vice-president is a jerk and hates the fact that there is a play house in the back of someone's yard. I think he'll hate that we are just putting a garden on the side of tennis courts no one uses. However if I can get enough people excited about it (and I'm working on it. I've been inspired to push the idea) then what he says doesn't mater at all

[@colinmcrae8134]

Ella's Planet there are options for a compost on a balcony /in a small space, too 😊 I saw it once...in the beginning you have to take good care but after a bit the "system" runs on its own. The so created soil was then used for plants on the balcony. Btw I am sharing a garden with an old lady that needed some help (and otherwise would have given up). Maybe you find somebody outside of your neighborhood who is enthusiastic about your plans?

[@markhedger6378]

Ella's Planet go for a worm bin instead👍

[@ellasplanet6662]

Mark Hedger a worm bin? :o I haven't heard of that before

[@Sarahlenea]

I have a "vegetable brush" to scrub veggies, so I don't need to peel most of them. It really saves time and reduces food waste! I also cook a lot of things that ppl usually throw away (green part of a leek, carrot tops, radish leaves and turnip greens -they have much more nutrients than the root) =>I add them in a soup for instance, or cut them finely to use them like I would use herbs. I sometimes freeze orange and lemon rinds to reuse them in a cake. If you have a garden, you can cut banana peels into small pieces and place them near the roots of your plants (great and natural fertilizer). Thanks, you always good very good advice. I never tried to pickle sth, I'll try that, and to freeze coconut milk :-)

[@desim6065]

Sarahlenea that's awesome! I didn't even know that was a thing

[@melodieswitten7386]

OMG... Ppl really throw away the green part of leeks?! Are they insane? In Belgium we use it in soups or mixed with mashed potatoes. We never throw that part away! I'm shocked 😱

[@nicolezach5456]

I used to have problems always wasting celery and green onions because I would only need a few pieces for a recipe and then would never eat the rest. Now I just chop them up and freeze them and they work great in casseroles! Another tip for veggies is to wrap them in a damp towel before putting them in the fridge. I've found this really helps prolong pretty much every veggie's life.

[@julecaesara482]

for lemons, limettes and oranges: You can freeze the peel and use it later in recipes. Even after peeling, you can flavour your vinegar cleaner with them. I constantly pop my citrus in vinegar after the have been completely squeezed and peeled

[@Eadwine9]

you can also use the scrap from chopping and peeling veggies to make veggie broth....you can keep a container in the freezer to collect them until you have enough to boil them into a broth....strain out the bits and pieces and then compost them....you can freeze the broth until you are ready to use it

[@amnioticfluid]

I have been following your channel for quite a long time and I really appreciate what you share with us and how you evolve your thoughtfulness. I am very thankful that I gained my knowledge and also learn from my own path of less-waste life. Just wanted to share that it has been about three years that I try to be plastic-free in Japan and it is much harder even for middle class people who can potentially exercise their consumer-ecoercises here to avoid doubly packaged single banana. We also deal with the ongoing nuclear accident and our government and corporations totally silence us when we are constantly polluting the Pacific and even remote countries, so education is needed and also I am learning from Chernobyl way of pickling things and sadly giving peels to the worm compost of mine because the food is really contaminated. Given the chance to rethink my energy consumption, I am reducing my electricity use (because I am privileged abled young single person who is able to garden in a patch of land secretly) without depending on much renewable resources (I find so called renewable energies are also taking advantage of the lands and people of less-privileged ). This means that I do not have a freezer and refrigerator. I personally like it and I live like this for the past seven years, gaining experience. So I am curious if you encounter or know refrigerator/freezer/ juicer/ food processors-independent methods because cooking a lot and putting in cold storage is not my option. Thank you so much for your work and I am looking forward to your future projects! (I apologize for my long gnarly comments, I just wanted to contextualize where I was coming from than just saying "what do you do if you don't have a refrigerator? ")

[@kerolainabula2872]

Hei! We usually freeze the peels from veggies and,when in need,boil a veggie stock out of it! Just ad pepper and olive leaf and voila!

[@mistyfalkenstein16]

I also use the citrus peels to make candied peel as a sweet snack and holiday baking.

[@airari24]

Also, stale bread = bread pudding!

[@emiliebeaudoin1561]

AirAri24 or french toast!

[@aurelialuthe3622]

Or fry bred crumbs with olive oil and salt to top a soup

[@SustainablyVegan]

love all of these

[@jkrotke1]

Fantastic! Thanks for all these great tips. When I'm done meal prepping for the week, I'll often have left over veggies that I didn't completely use up, so I'll usually make a quick tofu scramble or bean stir fry, then like you, individually portion out meals from that and freeze them, to eat on the weekend. It's helped make having food on hand on the weekends a lot easier too!

[@fleur2997]

you can also dry your herbs and make like a dried italian herb mix!

[@TheKduke]

I’m moving in about 5 weeks and so with decluttering all of the stuff we don’t need, I’m trying to empty out the cupboards and freezers (yes, 2 freezers for 2 people-ridiculous) and I don’t think I’ve ever done this before. Not only are we saving loads of money because I’m just buying stuff we need every week (fresh fruits and veg) but I’m trying a bunch of different recipes to try and use up the stuff that I forgot I bought or just to use them in a different way. It’s been a huge eye opener as well as a fun project! In our next house, I’m definitely not going to keep as much “just in case”.

[@ecomexillennial2244]

I always learn something new in your channel. Keep up the good work!!!

[@bubblebeebartend]

Thank you for such a wonderful video!! in America, about 41 million of us are food insecure yet 40% of all food goes to landfill. (source: feeding America nonprofit) You definitely address what we can all do on an individual level. A lot of that waste is from the industrial part of the equation where they deem the food too unattractive go to the supermarket but usually I just buy the ugly ones. if enough of us buy the ugly ones or are concerned for the "ugly" food, they'll get the message. Thanks again for a great video that offers solutions.

[@MissVirmaCaramia]

You are super inspiring and sweet. Your voice is so soothing! Thank you for this video :)

[@FinsternisSan]

A few tips that I have is to cut up what you buy. If you have the energy or ability to, it helps to save some time and to save energy. If you have a food processor with an attachment to grate or slice up vegetables even better especially if you have dexterity issues or low spoons it can help for the rest of the week and if you buy too much just reuse a freezer bag from fruit or vege from before and freeze it! I always expect to be depressed/anxious or have low energy at some point so I do my best to try and prep vegetables to make it easier on future me. However if you use pre-cut fruits and vegetables for whatever reason that's okay and no one should make you feel bad for it! I also use limes a lot and I peel the lime zests and put them on a plate on the window sill and they dry out really quickly (lemon zests need more help so a dehydrator works well) and I can use them for tea, arroz con leche, or in soups/chillies to add flavour. I also use the rind in things like soups and chillies and they also break down a bit easier in the compost because citrus can take ages to compost so this helps the process a bit better.

[@OJ_Kjeldsen]

My golden rule when it comes to food is that I only buy what I eat and eat what I buy.

[@amethystle]

Roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes elevate hummus in the best way! They add this amazing flavor, and I've pretty much just gotten in the habit of always tossing in a few roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes in every batch of hummus I make.

[@JadeDRail]

Can't wait till the snow melts so I can plant a garden! Through last years my tomatoes did not do super well, bunnies ate all my lettuce and my cucumber didn't grow. But there was a lot of mint though!

[@francescaboni]

I highly recommend you to check out the "pappa al pomodoro" recipe (from the Italian tradition). It requires old bread, so it prevents a lot of waste, and it's delicious!

[@nicolettabraun6256]

It is quite easy to not waste food when you don't have a lot of money but also some of these things aren't possible without money. E.g. I only have a very small freezer and can hardly freeze more than 1.5 kg of Veggie and an ice cube tray and veggie boxes have way too much for me to consume. When I have really ripe lemons I squeeze them and freeze the juice in seperate ice cubes, that way you can defrost it in portions. I also grow herbs on my balcony which is just amazing. The dried bred and the end bits that I don't enjoy go to my horse, she really enjoys the treat. I will try the spring onion one though!

[@jeanneleleuch1629]

Your tips are really helpful ! Thanks to you, I think I am becoming more responsible and a better human !! Really really like your ideas and your personnality ! Greetings from France :)

[@kerryglen1522]

great video! i love the coconut milk tip. I usually use any leftover milk on my porridge instead of my usual oatmilk...extra creamy😋

[@TheADHDHomestead]

I usually store my bananas next to my onions because they don't seem to bother each other! I avoid a lot of veggie/fruit waste by giving it to my rabbit if I can't think of other ways to use it! She doesn't mind slightly wilted fruits and veggies and it's good for her too :)

[@sianbobpang8649]

A great tip I love is when you peel potatoes or sweet potatoes, I drizzle the skins with oil and pop in the oven till crisp and golden, pull out and season and eat them as crisps. Soooo yummy 😋

[@_liogg]

Thank you ! I always loose my carrots, so I'll try that !!

[@Carolina-jx3tc]

These tips are so useful! Thank you so much ❤️

[@Culturalchemy]

Great video! I'd love to see one about planting veggies and herbs in an easy way (like if you don't have access to a garden).

[@desim6065]

If your bread (biscuits, cake, etc) is stale, you can pour a little water on them and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds. They come out soft again! It might sound weird but it really works!

[@Bdaso1]

I add my veggie/fruit scraps to my dogs homemade vegan food and they love it. Of course keeping in mind the veggie and fruits that are not good for dogs i.e. Avocados, Onion, Garlic, Grapes

[@imurno1fan831]

Great video :) I started freezing my fresh herbs but find they went slimey and lost all their flavour, great tip to pop them in water, will do this today ty !!

[@aishwaryaamin469]

I would wish to see a videos from you about how to be always fit and healthy, another is how to be gathered, fight with laziness.

[@briskoldberg3846]

Haha! "Maca powder." That sat in my pantry forever too. What the heck do people do with it?! Another great video full of inspiration. Thanks, Immy! :)

[@ionelafessler5564]

Hey Bri, a Male would definitely benefit from Maca powder. A scoop with the protein powder drink or just with water with (or after) a meal is good for the libido of older males 😉😁😉😁

[@emmaBrdy]

Love the coconut milk idea!

[@alinarapaj2412]

Wow... i opened your channel and saw you have exactly 77,777 subscribers. This is beautiful. I am proud of you

[@annemariesamples5582]

May I add, share with a friend, family member, or neighbor! If you have extra ingredients or meals, share the love with someone who will enjoy and use it up! And if you buy something for the fiirst time and didnt like it, share that, too! Someone will like it!! ❤🍒❤

[@stormiestcloud]

My favorite veggie sash is vinegar, it cleans everything

[@Michelle-zv8wk]

I know a lot of people love pen and paper, but if you'd prefer to save paper by going digital, I recommend the shopping app Bring!

[@AnabioUruguay]

You can use "old" bread to make Busin de pan. IT IS a delicious dish and very cheap.

[@gundimytube]

Can you please make a video on refrigerators, eco friendly usage and maybe a 1 month fridge free challenge?

[@caterinacamera5486]

Maca powder AHAHA i feel you

[@nali654]

Love the new editing style :) What's the hummus recipe?

[@emmabraithwaite5885]

No Name It's in the previous video !

[@nali654]

Thank you

[@maayans.181]

I guess in England it's different but in here you need a lot of approvals from the city to grow stuff in a "communal garden". If it's a private area it depends - you can't grow trees and stuff like that. (Well you can but it's illegal and they can ruin it :/).

[@julecaesara482]

about the carrots; in case storing them in a glass of water doesn't work for you (I have a) the hardest tap water in my country and they don't like the layer that forms around them and of top of the water after a few hours, and b) I have mold problems), wet a clean paper or cotton towel (not dripping) and place with the carrots in some tupperware or a glass and store in the fridge, preferably in the veggie box

[@peanutilicious]

Thank you for video! I really like the tips! You could also add the frozen coconut milk to your iced coffee instead of regular ice cubes. 🤔😀

[@esterwilson9931]

Love the editing!

[@TheDiscountVegan]

These were such a great reminder! I love replanting my veg scraps :D I'm currently growing ginger because of it :D

[@mayragallegos3860]

loving the video and the makeup.

[@nathaliac487]

You are really inspiring, I also freeze my fruits and use bit rotten vegetables in smoothies :)

[@Joesy015]

Yes to the intro 👏🏾!

[@eckloff]

YES to everything!!! Was so looking forward to watching this video. Have already begun to think about how to limit my food waste further - and clearly you have been working at it too :D Have started to peel less vegetables now as I know that the nutrients are in the peel - so silly that there are all these food customs that cause unnecessary additional waste and also a lose of all the yummy nutrients that we want and need. Just want to add - with bread you can rehydrate it in the oven or microwave by either placing a wet towel on top or filling an over tray with water underneath the bread which would be on a rack. I've only personally done the microwave technique once when I was desperate the reuse my bread but think the oven method is the way to go - have yet to try it as well. Very exciting! Would love to have seen a time-lapse of the spring onions growing ;) You kept mentioning the supermarket - are you not going to a local farmers market and buying local seasonal produce? (I understand that going to the market is not always possible time wise so knowing what to do at a supermarket is also helpful). Thanks again for a lovely video

[@vegemitegirl1971]

I've kept spring onions, in the window sill, in a glass, for 2 - 3. How? Just change the water every 2 days. Only take part of the onion allowing it to grow back What do I do with excess fresh produce just before payday. I pull them out of the fridge and make recipes (raw not cooked) and store in the freezer. By doing this, we always have a healthy meal when we're busy or sick or just lazy. With my fruit I cut them and store in a container in the freezer as my smoothie mix. I keep it as a smoothie blend, not individual fruits.

[@giorgioferrari6645]

Brilliant tips!!

[@tessacupcake8352]

Very nice tips!! A homemade chutney sounds amazing, maybe you could make a video about how to make them :) thanks for your inspiration :)

[@brunaw]

Awesome video! Thank you!

[@cathylynnpietranton]

Really great video thanks for all the tips how to keep your food longer and fresher

[@ayahalkhars7021]

Another one for the lemon, have a go at trying to eat the inside pulpy stuff and using the peel to clean your hands after a greasy meal. Arab style. I feel like it's not for everyone, I have been eating lemons raw my entire life, and so have my family members. But, after you squeeze out all the juice find a corner that you can separate the lemon itself from the peel (lemons look like oranges when peeled) take it out and eat it, then clean your hand with the peel. Then compost the peel or chop it up and add it to your dishwashing liquid. Later you can take out the lemon peels when needed from the dishwashing soup, de-grease your stove top for a good cleaning, rinse it off (from soap and grease) and throw it in the compost.

[@TejaswiniNarayanan]

can you please share recipes of the hummus from soft vegetables? seems like a great idea! :) thank you!

[@SustainablyVegan]

The recipe is in my last video

[@ruinedfall]

i love your videos because you offer tips that are different from other channels! ❤️

[@Writtenonmyheart9]

Thank you for these ideas! Single bananas and ugly vegetables - never thought about it but now will definitely search for these sad veggies))

[@ivyherz7816]

You're a wonderful human being! Greetings from Bosnia&Herzegovina 😇

[@pilarcasas1199]

Thanks

[@Ciao_Jules]

When you order Asian food in the U.S., you get a lot of soy sauce packets...I don't throw them away anymore. I used them in a pickling recipe of 1:1:1(soy sauce, sugar, vinegar). I usually have a small jar of it started. Then I throw scraps of chili pepper, garlic & onion. My kids like it with steak. It also pairs well when the kids make their version of Vietnamese rolls. I get them to eat a "salad" without much effort.

[@ionelafessler5564]

How about saying to them no soy sauce packets. If they still put them in, then give them back or ask for a certain number of them to use with your meal.

[@tiredapplestar]

Love this! Thanks!

[@mathilde8418]

Tristram Stuart's book about food waste is edifying and so interesting ! Personnaly I can't follow any meal plan ! I tried so many times, but what I want to eat a given moment, is eventually always different of what I planned :/ Moreover : do you have tips to plan meals when you're alone. I don't know why, but in my daily life, single dishes can't go with planned meals :p Thanks!!

[@jessicastull6013]

Great tips! Thank you for sharing!

[@lifeinthecountrysidehome]

when we make a conscious effort to reduce waste we do our part in preserving our environment.

[@brasstail]

If you're trying to grow fruits/veggies, make sure you take precautions or else the squirrels will end up eating everything regardless of if it is ripe or not. I've had this problem for years and although it probably doesn't help living right by the horniman nature trail, so we have to be really proactive about making sure anything we grow we actually pick instead of losing it to squirrels.

[@returnofthereasoner3200]

Thersoth Angrian-Black, I had the same problem with something eating everything in my garden! I believe it is a raccoon. Now I just have a handful of plants in pots on my enclosed porch. Frustrating and expensive to lose dozens of vegetable plants when you put so much effort into it.

[@isabellar772]

My mom looooves canned coconut milk in coffee you should try that :))

[@Rampaigee]

This was really helpful. thanks!

[@incaseyoudidntknow9949]

thank you for the tip about the ugly food

[@RebeccaXMarie]

Your videos are so good and helpful! Really want to reduce my waste, and these help me alot :-)

[@laurenburton5914]

Love the brows! Great vid x

[@missagati02]

Really great and original tips! thank you for that lovely :)

[@aishwaryaamin469]

So young and so amazing in household.