Reducing food waste can be a serious subject, but there’s no reason why we can’t make it fun! Try some of these entertaining ways to reduce food waste:
- Name your leftovers! Give them goofy names like “Monday’s Madness Mash” or “Tuesday’s Ten-Topping Tacos.” You’ll be more likely to eat them if you’re excited about what’s awaiting in your fridge.
- How a about weekly leftovers night? Designate a night of the week as “smorgasbord night” – a night you serve a mix of last week’s leftovers.
- Food Scavenger Hunt: Turn meal prep into a fun game by hiding ingredients in your fridge. Challenge your family members to find them and work them into a meal.
- The “What Can I Make With This?” game: Choose an ingredient from your fridge or pantry that you’re trying to get rid of, and challenge yourself to come up with a meal that requires that ingredient.
- The “Ugly Vegetable” challenge: Embrace the beauty of imperfect produce by making a meal with the wonkiest vegetables you’ve got.
- Get creative with expiration dates! Turn “use by” dates into “get-in-my-belly by” dates. Challenge: Can you eat all the food before it goes bad?
- The “Fridge Roulette” game: Close your eyes and randomly pull out a few items from your fridge. Use those items to make a meal, no matter how bizarre the combination is!
By bringing a little fun into your efforts to reduce food waste, you can make the process more enjoyable and memorable. You might even discover some new a yummy meals along the way.
So pick your favorite idea and try it out this week!
My favorite? “Smorgasbord night” – it makes a nice family tradition. My husband’s favorite? “What Can I Make With This?” He’s quite gifted at it, actually.
