Food waste is a common problem during the holidays. Every year at Thanksgiving, American families throw out 305 million pounds of food, according to the University of Minnesota.
It’s possible to avoid contributing to the problem, by taking a few simple steps:
- Plan Ahead. Save the Food’s Guest-imator tool can help you estimate how much food you’ll need to feed your party, so you don’t over-purchase.
- Send folks home with leftovers. Make sure that you have containers to use on hand that don’t necessarily need to find their way back to you.
- Make room in your freezer ahead of the big day. As a general rule, refrigerated leftovers are safe to eat for just 3-4 days, according to Mayo Clinic. When frozen, they’ll stay good for months. Make sure there is plenty of room in your freezer to store those mashed potatoes and turkey — and pull them out on a lazy midwinter day when you don’t feel like cooking.
- Plan ways to reinvent leftovers as next-day meals or side dishes. The New York Times has an abundant selection of recipes to use up that leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes.
For more ways to prevent food waste, check out Southern Oregon Food Solutions.
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