I’m sharing my top 10 tips to reduce food waste and save money. Can we talk about how expensive food is right now?! These tips aren’t just going to be good for our environment but also our wallets! 

1. Freeze Citrus Fruit 

Did you know that you can freeze your lemons and limes? If you buy a lot of citrus and then realize that you won’t be able to use them all before they go to waste, you can simply pop them into the freezer! Interesting fact is that you will get more juice from citrus after you freeze them (just let them fully thaw first). Simply wash, dry, and pop them into a reusable bag, and transfer them into the freezer. You can easily zest them while frozen – no thawing required.

2. Separate Your Bananas 

If you’re crazy like me, you have a ton of bananas ripening at different speeds. If you don’t want all your bananas to ripen at the same time, make sure that you are separating them from the stem or covering the stem with plastic (Some bananas at the store already have this attached, and if so, just leave it). When you leave your bananas together, they release gasses that speed up the ripening. Bonus tip: don’t store bananas with our other fruit and vegetables because bananas will speed up their ripening too. Make sure to have a designated area specifically for bananas only…because bananas don’t want to be friends with any other produce.

3. Freeze Sliced Bread 

I can’t remember the last time I threw out sliced bread. When I purchase bread, I pop them into the freezer right away. The trick is you always want to buy sliced bread. Once the bread is frozen, you can then easily grab a slice and pop it into the toaster for your morning toast or afternoon sandwiches. Bread does not go bad or taste weird after being frozen; if anything, freezing bread preserves its freshness. I can’t say it enough to freeze your bread! If you’re storing your bread on the counter or in a bread storage container, stop and start freezing your bread today! Extra tip: If you have stale sliced bread, you can turn it into croutons.

4. Revive Your Stale Bread 

If you have stale bread on your counter (not moldy, moldy bread cannot be revived and needs to be thrown away/composted) If your bread is just stale, preheat the oven to 325 F, while your oven is preheating, run the loaf of bread under the water for a couple of seconds, avoiding the cut sides. Place your loaf of bread directly on the oven rack and bake for 12-15 minutes. Your stale bread will magically come back to life, and taste like it was freshly baked.

5. DIY Dog Treats

When you’re trying to feed your dog the healthiest food, but hello, dog food prices are so high!! (especially the healthy dog food). I’ve found that making some of my dog treats at home is not only cheaper and healthier, but it’s super easy, and I know she’s getting the best. When my apples start to get soft or wrinkly, I cut them up into slices and add a little peanut butter. I pop them into the freezer on a lined cookie sheet to freeze. Once frozen, I transfer to a storage bag and store in the freezer. Your furry friends will have yummy snacks ready to enjoy throughout the week/month. Apples are really good for dogs’ breath and help clean their teeth; peanut butter helps her munch them down! Yum!

Organic sweet potatoes are expensive, and I want to avoid any sweet potatoes going to waste. I cut the ends off all of my sweet potatoes before roasting them and set them aside for our dog. I cover them in coconut oil and omit any salt or seasoning. I then put them in the oven to bake while I’m roasting dinner for the family. Let them fully cool down and transfer to an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Your dog will love these tasty sweet treats.  You can even freeze them and save them for later too. 
There are so many ways that you can use food leftovers to make healthy dog treats. I’m sharing a bonus tip on my Tik Tok. Make sure to look there for more food hacks and recipe ideas.

6. Chop And Freeze Overripe Produce 

This is great for items like avocados and bananas, that are delicious in smoothies. Many grocery stores usually have an almost bad 50% off section.  Buy those to save extra money and peel, chop, and freeze them. You then have them ready to go for baking and smoothies. They’ll never go bad, and now you just purchased groceries for half the price. (You’re Welcome!)

7. Revive Wilted Produce

If you’ve just bought some produce like Kale and it’s starting to look a little sad, here’s a tip for you!  Vegetables have a lot of water in them, and when they get dehydrated, they start to look a little sad (You know what I mean, we’ve all had sad Kale in our fridge before). If you’re trying to eat a fresh salad, dehydrated Kale just won’t work. You want to cut the end of the Kale stem so that you have a fresh cut. This will help the Kale absorb water and bring it back to life! Next step is to fill a mason jar with ice water and then place your Kale in the jar with the stem side down. Leave it overnight, and then bam, fresh Kale in the morning! This method works on other vegetables, too, like broccoli, celery, asparagus, and fresh herbs.

8. Soak Berries In Water And Vinegar 

Everyone knows when you buy fresh berries, they just don’t last! It doesn’t matter what time of year it is; berries start to get moldy, quick! They are expensive, and you can’t eat them fast enough. Next time when you buy fresh berries as soon as you get home  add them to a bowl with water and vinegar (You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar), let them soak for 5-10 minutes and then give them a really good rinse, drain and air dry on a kitchen towel. . Store them in a container lined with paper towel with the lid popped open to allow airflow and put them back into the refrigerator. Not only will they taste more fresh but they will last a lot longer without getting mushy so quickly.

9. Store Your Potatoes in A Dark, Cool Place

I have to admit I didn’t know this until recently but don’t store onions and potatoes together. (They’re not friends!). The onions give off a gas that makes the potatoes sprout and go bad faster! It’s better if you can store your potatoes in a brown paper bag in a cool dark place alone. That also does not mean placing them in the refrigerator. (I was once guilty of this too!) as it will change their colour and flavour.

10. Line Your Produce Drawer

We used to be a paper towel-free household…and then we had a toddler (hello, parenthood and toddler-sized messes! OMG). This tip can be done with a paper towel or a dish towel. You want to line your produce drawer in your refrigerator with a towel. Since produce gives off gasses and moisture, the dish towel will absorb them and keep your dry, crisp, and fresh longer. 

There you have it! All my tips and tricks to reduce food waste, get your food to last longer, and save money on your grocery bill. Food is so expensive nowadays, so every bit counts! If you’d like to learn more ways to reduce food waste, check out my 7 Food Waste Hacks. 

What are some ways that you help to reduce your grocery bill? Comment below, can’t wait to hear all your tips and tricks.