Each week I participate in Food Waste Friday hosted by The Frugal Girl. Monitoring my food waste, and documenting it with a picture, keeps me accountable and motivates me to remain vigilant in my goal to minimize, if not eliminate, food waste in my household.
This week I had planned to serve asparagus on Sunday, but when I went through the crisper last night I noticed it was looking a little oldish. I also found 1/4 a head of cauliflower with some brown spots and broccoli that was getting soft. I cut off the brown spots on the cauliflower and revived the broccoli by cutting off 1 inch of the stem and placing it in water. Then I revised my menu and served stir fry veggies last night:
I still haven’t replaced my olive oil, so I cooked the veggies in 2 T. canola oil and 1 T. butter (for flavor) seasoned to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. My family loved it and there were no leftovers. (Hint: cook the hard veggies for several minutes, then add the softer veggies like broccoli, and cook until just tender).
Last night I tweeted that my daughter would not let me call my latest creation “rotten vegetable stir fry” and I immediately lost followers. I found this very entertaining and predict that I will tweet more about rotting vegetables to scare off the feint of heart. But I digress.
Another way that I am flexible to prevent food waste is in allowing my children to decide amongst the items that I have prepared for dinner. (I am not a short order cook, but I do realize that people do have different preferences). My oldest son’s plate:
He had a little of everything I cooked and then went back for seconds of each item.
My daughter does not like salmon, so her plate looked like this:
They both had healthy dinners that they enjoyed and neither wasted any food.
Planning plays an important part of avoiding food waste. I plan my shopping trips so that I don’t over buy food, I plan my menus so I cook the food I buy, and I plan for leftovers so that I don’t create science projects in my fridge. However, occasionally I have to deviate from the plan to avoid food waste.
How did you do on food waste this week?
Alea says
Nancy, I had a similiar situation as your husband growing up and it turns out the things I didn't want to eat contained gluten and I have celiac's disease. My body knew better than the adults what it shouldn't eat. I have found that if I provide healthy choices for my children they get a well rounded diet.
Porch Days says
I strongly agree about everyone having preferences. I think everyone should make their choices and serve their own plates. Mr. B still talks about being given a full plate when he was a child and having to sit for houses until it was all eaten.
Struggler says
I would have seconds of those veggies, too.
Thank you, also, for your frequent tweets linking to me!
Dave says
Those vegies look very tasty, old or not.
My wife does our shopping, and I do the cooking. She migrates the older food from the bottom to the top of the fridge so I use it up first. Seems to work well for us 🙂
Alea says
LOL! I knew you were a kindred spirit!
Annie Jones says
I'm not on Twitter, but if I were, I would follow you BECAUSE you called it Rotten Vegetable Stir Fry. 😉