Earth Day is Friday, April 22 – we’re featuring a green tip of the day from April 1-22.

Tip #13 – Enough edible food to feed 49 million people ends up in landfills in the United States each year (source: NatGeo). No wonder more and more people are dumpster diving – there’s good stuff in there!

Before spending your cash on food at the market, be honest and real about your needs. Don’t overbuy. It may require an extra trip to the market to stock up again, but it’s better than throwing away what was once, perfectly good fresh food.

Here’s what typically happens. You’ve bought enough fresh food for the week and then your schedule changes: unexpected invite to an evening out; don’t feel like cooking; late night at the office; business trip. It happens to all of us, but don’t fall victim to the over-buying game time and again.

Solutions:

• Store all your fresh produce in bags that help extend their shelf-life; find a great selection @ reuseit.com
• If you don’t have time to cook the items within a day or so of purchasing; or have room to freeze them, don’t buy them.
• Every week, take stock of that produce – grab the miscellaneous broccoli, carrot, celery, onion, potato, mushroom, daikon, leek; chop it up & add to some water & veggie stock, boil; simmer & top with fresh cilantro, scallion or parsley and have some nutritious, homemade soup for the next couple of days.
• If some of that produce has gone by, compost it instead of throwing it away. Mother Earth will thank you.