One day I was listening to a program on the radio about the amount of food we waste. If we added up the cost for each house plus the amount of energy that went into producing that food, the numbers were staggering. Especially when you consider all that food was going into the garbage. The guest suggested that we create a grocery list, not of items that we need but of food that we wasted. Total the amount at the end of each month and then add those totals again at the year's end. This would apparently shock many people.
I know that I often feel embarrassed by the amount of things that I throw away. My two biggest problems are living alone and lack of brain function. Living alone I don't feel like cooking, I find cooking and cleaning up after is almost the same effort for one person as it is for two or three, so I'm just not into doing it. I buy good vegetables to cook but end up wanting something quick, so instead of a good meal, I open a can of soup.
My other problem is my brain no longer works properly, I am forgetful and I lose track of time. I buy wholesome food like broccoli or green peppers with the intention of creating a healthy meal; however I keep thinking that I "just" bought those vegetables and put off using them until suddenly it's a week later and they have mold on them. Last night I was really ticked off with myself, I bought extra lean ground beef, that doesn't come cheap here and I kept putting off using it. I shoved it back in the fridge and forgot about it until yesterday. It expired five days ago. I bought broccoli and said to myself that I must remember to eat it because I wasted the last bunch. Again I see it's too late, I left it too long as I also did with a basket of strawberries, I went to use them last night and they were rotting covered with mold, I left them in the fridge too long.
I would be embarrassed by the price of the groceries that I toss, I imagine myself taking money out of my wallet and throwing it in the garbage, I wouldn't do something so crazy as that and yet I basically am doing that. Even worse, I should be eating better as I age but I'm not doing that, in fact now when I go shopping I skip the fresh fruits and vegetables section because I will only waste the food. If I'm supposed to be getting smarter as I age, then I am not seeing any signs of it yet.
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Next time, take the ground beef, add some onions, chopped garlic, diced tomatoes and marinara sauce, let it all simmer for an hour or so, and you have a great sauce for pasta, noodles or a casserole. I love cooking, and I hate to wast a good chunk of of meat. I love meat...just about any way you can make it. Give me a good piece of meat and I'll make your mouth water. ;-)
Well, I live alone and cook most nights. I often stop at the market every other night and buy what I need. If I buy meats, I will buy enough to make it different ways to get two three meals out of it, I waste very little of it. Or the same with pasta. I can make it three ways for three different meals. When it comes to snacks it's mostly fruit, nuts and cheese. I allow myself one junky snack and one sweet snack, and don't allow myself to buy anymore till those are gone frist. I seem to be saving money.
But don't ask about the gin.
Cook and freeze a portion
Cook and freeze
Also you should learn to bake , it's very therapeutic
See, this is one of the reasons I buy frozen veggies. I got tired of my forgotten fresh broccoli growing yellow, not to be remembered until the fridge started smelling like a dead skunk. The other reason is these salmonella, e coli and food poisoning breakouts going on. Since I grew up on canned stuff, frozen feels like fresh to me.
I grew up with very frugal parents so it was drilled into my head to not waste food. I'm disappointed with myself when I have to throw away food. I usually fix all my meals at home and try to bake once and eat three times. I'll bake three chicken breast and make three different meals. It saves time and energy in the long run. And you're right. You do need to be eating healthy. Canned soup is loaded with sodium which is not good for you.
Avoid all or nothing solutions. I agree with others, make for four people and freeze leftovers as individual servings. Do this once a week, after a month or so you'll have a good selection in the freezer. If I have a lot of vegetables at risk, I'll make vegetarian bean soup and freeze the extra servings. It's always a happy night when I can defrost something for a quick meal! I learned not to keep leftovers in the fridge, they become unappealing within hours.
This is younger Steven, we used to do all of the above, when did you get so stupid in your middle age?
Dear anonymous, aka younger Steven, one does not necessarily get stupid when they age. If one starts out that way, there is little hope if not taken care of when young :) However, as one ages, they get tired. I grew up cooking for eight people from the age of nine or so. I had to learn to cook for two and then four and then two again. I'm T-I-R-E-D!
Deedles, too funny. I'm tired too. I knew a woman who cooked for a large family. Even after they all flew the coop her husband insisted on eating the way they used to. When he died she threw out *all* of her pots and pans, joyously!
Younger Steven, post some photos!
Mike, good for that woman! My hubby is the opposite. After we were married, he started complaining about the amount of food I was cooking. We could live off a pot of chili for four to five days. I brought it down to one day of leftovers until my two boys were born. They were both married 21 and 17 years ago respectively and I had to go back to two. You can get whiplash! Don't get me wrong, everybody was self sufficient, they wouldn't starve without me cooking, I just enjoyed it so much. Now I can't peel a potato without extreme pain in my hands. Pamper (not the diapers) time! I earned every gray...er, silver hair I own.
Whiplash! I hope you'll forgive me for laughing out loud *with* you, Deedles. I can stand up and peel potatoes by the grace of God and ibuprofen. Massive amounts of ibuprofen. Hang in there, my friend!
I live alone and use the apartment a lot, but not to cook ;) I eat out a lot or get take out from the million or so places around me.
I try really hard not to waste food, and I hate it when I have to throw any out. I think this comes from my frugal mother. If I do cook, I will freeze portions and have them later. Just tonight I ate something I froze a month ago, vegetable enchiladas. I get what you mean about the cooking though. I have to force myself to do it sometimes.
Walter, why is it I get the feeling you're not completely talking about the type of meat you eat..... no pun intended.
Maddie, I used to be really good at cooking and making extra meals but I stopped. You say gin, I say chocolate chip cookies, tomato, tamato!
John, do you mean as in bake a cake because I am good at that, I think living alone seems to have drained the purpose ofccooking for me.
Deedles, yup I hear you, yellow broccoli and I find it smells like some old guy passed gas in my fridge! I buy frozen for the same reason sometimes.
RJ, I used to be good at meal planning but I dropped it. My parents would be horrified by what I waste sometimes.
Mike, last year I made a lot of homemade chicken stew and soup. I froze it for later, it was one way to save the veggies from the garden. I name all the young roosters here Stew, people ask me why...... then a light comes on.
Deedles, darn does that mean there is no point in showing up for dinner? Lol.
Mike, that's a good story. I threw out a lot of stuff here. I had enough pots and pans to create a meal for an army but there is just me now lol.
I dealt with younger Steven, see above lol.
Hey Cali-Boi! Well normally I would say eating out is not good for you; however you are in awesome shape so I am thinking about eating out more now! Lol
Michael, I used to be the king of frozen spaghetti sauce! I have to start doing that again.
You can take comfort or be appalled at 55 I still struggle with this same issue. I hate throwing out food, what a waste. Yet somehow it is often the 'good stuff' that is bought and tossed. not the leftover pizza and such.
Dr Spo, that's because cold pizza is yummy delicious while brussels sprouts are.... well they're brussels sprouts.
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