How to Conserve Foods

25.9 million tons of food is thrown away by Americans each year.

Every year, approximately one third of the food in the United States is thrown away. Not only are America's households throwing money away by trashing so much food, but the government shells out over $1 billion every year to dispose of this massive amount of waste. Conserving food is a good way to cut back on expenses and waste.

Instructions

1. Freezing foods that would go bad in a refrigerator is a good way to conserve food, especially meats. Place meat that will soon go bad into a zip-top sandwich bag, remove the air and freeze it. When you are ready to use the meat, defrost it by moving the bag to the refrigerator the day before you plan to use it. Freezing can be used for deli meats, leftover steaks or chicken, or any other kind of meat. This simple tip will save money and conserve food that would have been wasted.

2. Dry or dehydrate food including meat, vegetables and herbs. Slice food into thin layers and place into a dehydrator at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for meats or 140 degrees Fahrenheit for vegetables. For herbs, mince finely and place into a dehydrator at 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The dehydration process is complete when the meat item feels leathery, the vegetable item is hard, and the herbs are completely dry. Check the dehydrator regularly to ensure proper dehydration. Place dehydrated items into sealed, airtight bags or containers. This process will allow you to conserve the food for a long period of time since food without moisture does not grow bacteria.

3. Serve small portions to children. Children often waste food, and a good way to control this is to serve very small portions and let the child come back for more if she is still hungry. This will cut back food wastes and conserve leftovers. Keep in mind that children's stomachs are about the size of their fists, so it is common for children to be full after a small portion.

4. Buy only what you need at the grocery store, especially when shopping for perishable items. A common mistake people make is to over-buy fruits and other items that go bad quickly. Cut back on these items by half, and if you notice that you need more, alter your shopping habits again until you find the right balance, allowing you to conserve food and save money.

5. Conserve snack foods. Separate snack-food items such as chips, crackers and cookies into single portion sized zip-top bags or containers. This will prevent over-snacking and is also a healthy way to limit portions.

Tips & Warnings

• Freeze leftovers immediately in air-tight containers and re-serve in two to three weeks to save money and conserve food.

References

• CNN: All About Food Waste
• Tutor Vista: Ways To Conserve Food
• Dry Store: How to Dehydrate Foods
• Check City: Save Money By Throwing Out Less Food