valerie gilbert

Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers times.

To keep bananas from browning quickly, break up the bunch and separate. Don’t store bananas with apples, which speed up ripening. If the stems came covered in plastic wrap, do not remove the plastic until ready to eat as this will slow the release of ethylene gas. I will properly store bananas.

Did you know that milk should never be stored in the side door of a fridge? Learn where to properly store food in your fridge by checking out the Resource. I will properly store cartons of milk.

The freezer is your friend! Store any leftover food in the freezer for a quick weekday meal or freeze fruits that are getting ripe to use for a delicious smoothie later. I will freeze food item(s).

Five bananas for $1 is a good deal only if you eat all five. Many stores offer the sale price even if you buy less than the stated quantity.

Grocery shop more often, and buy fresh foods in smaller quantities.

Freeze fruits nearing their end and use in smoothies. You can even try freezing avocados (see Resource)!

For recipes that call for small amounts of different vegetables, shop at the salad bar to get exactly what you need.

Bigger carts make us feel like we need to fill them! Use a hand basket to improve grocery store discipline and prevent over-purchasing.

I will plan an Eat the Leftovers night by creating a tasty “smorgasbord" or using a recipe that repurposes leftovers. I will eat meals using leftovers.

I will not toss food once it is past the best buy date. "Expiration" dates misleadingly refer to quality, not safety. Use your senses and best judgement.

Store apples up to 7 days on the counter, then move them to the refrigerator. Keep them away from bananas and avocados as they speed ripening. I will properly store apples.

I will keep a fridge inventory to stay up to date with what I have in my fridge before I go grocery shopping.

For each day during the food waste tracking week, record your food waste. This action accepts one entry per day, so be sure to enter one total for food waste across all of your meals, or weigh all of your food waste once at the end of each day. Please use ounces for unit of measurement.