When is Food Waste Not Waste?

When it provides hours of entertainment for my little apple thief!

Caught in the act of stealing apples.

I lost 5 cooking apples to an invented bowling game last week. This week, I lost 6 to Rew’s interpretation of marbles.

Here are 8 apples that I was able to salvage, because they were just used for a picnic:

Remarkably in the last two weeks, the only waste we have had has been apples and one banana that Rew got to and mashed beyond recognition. All fruit is currently being stored in the refrigerator until he moves out of this stage.

Some other steps we have taken to minimize food waste:

1. Plan meals, prioritizing vegetables and meat that will go quickly over items with a longer shelf life

2. Use leftovers in lunches

3. Roll leftovers over into new meals

4. Freeze leftovers to use on a busy night

5. Serve small portions and go back for seconds if still hungry

6. Save uneaten portions (label with person’s name if you are worried about germs). We don’t do this as a punishment! Ever! My dd needs to eat small, frequent meals. Often she will get half way through her dinner, declare that she is full, and say that she is going to save it for later. My son eats three large meals a day, but never snacks. They are both very healthy and we encourage them to listen to their bodies.

7. Have a “clean out the fridge” buffet night

Have you found some techniques that help you minimize food waste?

This post has been linked to Food Waste Friday at The Frugal Girl.