It may seem like a lot of work at the time, but by preparing a meal plan and following a few of these tips, you can decrease food waste in your kitchen and decrease your grocery bill! (Tips courtersy of Minnesota Farm Bureau.)
1. Plan ahead
Are you cooking roast or whole chicken? Consider freezing the leftover meat in labeled containers. Reheat for a similar meal a few weeks later or use the meat later that week in a soup or enchiladas.
2. Prepare larger quantitiess
Cook larger quantitites at one time. Double your taco meat or hotdish recipe, freeze in portion sizes and label for a quick meal later that month. Simply reheat!
3. Freeze fruits and vegetables
Cook multiple squash at one time. Blend your recipe together and freeze in cupcake tins then place in freezer safe bags and reheat quantity needed for meals. (Works great for homemade soups and chili.)
Cook and puree your carrots, freeze in ice cub trays and then place in labeled freezer bags. Place a few cubes in spaghtetti sauce to improve nutritional value!
Freeze fruits and make into fruit smoothies. Make too much fruit smoothie? Place in a labeled bag and store in a cooler or refrigerator for your lunch later in the day.
Take a deeper dive into weekly meal planning at Choose My Plate or go for monthly meal planning with this Monthly Meal Planning post from Best Food Facts.