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5 Steps to Waste Less Food Shop smarter, plan better to save money and throw away less 
Lunch at home was supposed to be salad with baby greens and shrimp, but last-minute scheduling changes meant a meal on the run. The half-pound of ground beef in the fridge could make a fine spaghetti sauce, if only you had time to cook. Unfortunately, perishables including delicate produce and both raw and cooked seafood, poultry and meat, spoil within days. By the time you’re ready for dinner at home, your ingredients are fit for the garbage can. Scenarios like this occur all too frequently. In fact, the average American throws away 33 pounds of food each month, the equivalent of more than $40, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. If you’re discarding food on a regular basis, you’re not only padding your food budget, you’re squandering natural resources. Instead, with a little planning, smarter shopping and creative use of leftovers, you can save money and reduce the energy required to produce, market and dispose of unwanted food, according to sustainability experts. 1. Have realistic expectations Food is discarded “because we don’t plan or because we think we’re going to cook at home but don’t,” says Julie Kennel, registered dietitian and professor, Ohio State University, Columbus. Get into the habit of sketching out a few dinner menus that mesh with your upcoming schedule, she says. Before shopping, check to see what you have on hand, so you’re not duplicating ingredients. 2. Adjust your typical strategies Shop for smaller, not larger food sizes. For instance, pick a small apple knowing your child will take three bites before throwing away the remainder. Buy just enough ground beef for one meal or milk for a few days, even though you’ll be paying slightly more. Purchasing large sizes that are cheaper by the ounce makes sense if you can finish the food before it spoils. If you’re cooking for one or two, selecting the giant economy size can be costly, Kennel says. 3. Opt for unpackaged produce Shopping for fruits and vegetables by the piece is more time-consuming than grabbing a bagful. But if you buy only as much as you can eat in the short term and you don’t put your selections in individual plastic bags, you won’t discard food or packaging, says Dana Gunders, project scientist, food and agriculture, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco. 4. Use bulk bins “Buy as much spice as you need, not the whole jar,” Gunders says. Even with your best shopping techniques, you’ll have waste unless you resolve to use up perishable ingredients. This doesn’t have to be a dreary experience, however. “It can be fun; you can make a game out of it; “clean out the fridge” night,” Gunders says. 5. Ask the family for inspiration Whet their appetites and imaginations by turning a few stale bread slices into cinnamon-toast sticks, bread pudding or French toast. Give leftover cooked chicken breast a reprise as soup, salad or a quesadilla, Kennel says. Boost the flavor and heft of a couple of eggs with cooked vegetables and cheese. “It doesn’t take much to learn the skill of using odds and ends. Learn the basics; make a soup, make a casserole,” says Kennel. The “sell-by” dates on food packages are suggestions for the peak quality, not safety, of the food. If you rely too heavily on the “sell-by” date you could be unnecessarily throwing away food, according to Gunders. “The USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] estimates that almost a quarter of all eggs are discarded by consumers,” Gunders says. Eggs can be properly stored in the refrigerator for three to five weeks after purchase, even if the “sell by” date has passed. For more information on what “sell by” or “use by” dates mean along with optimal storage times for meat, poultry and egg products, visit the USDA website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Food_Product_dating/index.asp For an extensive list of perishable food storage times, visit the Colorado State University Extension at: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09310.html
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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
