By Sean McDonnell, cleveland.com — With rising prices and tight budgets, it pays to look for cheaper groceries. But if the lettuce you bought spoils in the back of the fridge, it (and the money you paid for it) might be going in the trash can. It doesn’t have to.
Food waste is a huge problem that contributes to food insecurity and climate change. The USDA says one-third of all available food goes uneaten.
All of that waste isn’t happening in people’s kitchens. But even on a smaller scale, allowing food to spoil or go uneaten can hurt your budget.
It happens in all sorts of ways. Heavy cream that goes sour. A green sprout emerging from an onion. Parsley getting lost in the fridge. Over-ripe bananas. Dried-out brown sugar. Leftovers that keep getting left. And why do we have three bottles of ketchup in the fridge?
Waste is more common than you think. Despite my personal vendetta against wasting money, I let food waste happen often.
That’s why I spoke with Jennifer Lobb, a registered dietitian and an educator at the Ohio State University’s extension office in Franklin County. With her expertise, and the many resources she sent me, we can all throw less money in the trash.
Every food item is different, but here are the broad strokes. Read full article...