How-To Guides
15 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home
The average household throws away hundreds of dollars of food a year. These 15 habits cut waste without much effort.
7 min read
Shop smarter
Most waste starts at the store.
- •Plan meals before you shop and stick to a list.
- •Don't shop hungry — it leads to over-buying.
- •Buy loose produce so you take only what you need.
- •Be realistic about how much you'll actually cook this week.
Store it to last
Good storage can double the life of your groceries.
- •Keep your fridge at or below 40°F (4°C).
- •Store herbs and greens with a paper towel to absorb moisture.
- •Keep potatoes and onions apart and out of the fridge.
- •Freeze bread, meat and leftovers you won't use in time.
Use what you have
Get creative before things go off.
- •Cook an 'use-it-up' meal weekly — stir-fries, soups and frittatas welcome almost anything.
- •Freeze overripe fruit for smoothies and baking.
- •Turn stale bread into croutons or breadcrumbs.
- •Save vegetable scraps for homemade stock.
Know when food is still good
'Best before' is about quality, not safety — many foods are fine well past it. Trust your senses: look, smell and (for some foods) taste. When genuinely in doubt, throw it out, but don't bin food just because of a date.
Frequently asked questions
What's the single easiest way to reduce food waste?+
Plan your meals and shop with a list. Most waste is decided at the store — buying only what you'll actually cook prevents food from spoiling unused.
Does 'best before' mean food is unsafe after that date?+
No. 'Best before' is a quality date, so many foods are perfectly fine well past it. 'Use by' is the safety date — that's the one to respect on perishable foods.
How much money can cutting food waste save?+
The average household wastes hundreds of dollars of food a year, so reducing waste meaningfully lowers your grocery bills over time.
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