The Secret to Reducing Food Waste? Meal Planning Like a Pro

This week it is Food Waste Action Week and we want to focus on Meal planning this year with Love Food Hate Waste. Meal planning isn’t just for busy parents or fitness fanatics, it’s a powerful tool for anyone looking to cut down on food waste.

Plus, let’s be real—it saves you money, time, and the mental anguish of staring into the fridge wondering, “What’s for dinner?”

Tips to Get Started:

1. Check Your Week: Look at your calendar and see what’s coming up. Got dinner plans out? A busy evening with no time to cook? Plan accordingly so you don’t overbuy or end up wasting food.

   
   

2. Check What You Have Got: Before you shop, channel your inner detective and investigate what’s already in your fridge, pantry, and freezer. Found a bag of rice you forgot about? That’s a base for dinner right there. Got a sad-looking carrot? That’s soup material!

   
   

3. Choose Your Meals: Think about what you’d like to eat this week and match it to what you already have. Aim for recipes that overlap ingredients so nothing gets left behind. For example, that bunch of spinach can do double duty in a salad and a stir-fry.

   
   

4. Create Your List: Now that you know what you’ve got and what you need, write it all down. A list keeps you focused at the store and helps you avoid impulse buys (looking at you, fancy cheese aisle). Stick to it and watch your food waste shrink.

   
   

By planning ahead, you’ll not only reduce waste but also become the master of your kitchen domain. And honestly, who doesn’t want to feel like a meal-planning ninja?

We will outline more specifically how to manage each step above to our Bin-Fluencer subscribers with an exclusive Blog Post each week.