For National Nutrition Month, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics staff have provided nutrition tips to run throughout March.
The dreaded refrigerator clean out day.
This is a household chore many of us dislike. Even more frustrating during the cleaning is realizing how much food was wasted. Americans throw away an estimated 90 billion pounds of food a year eating at home or eating out.
The good news is there are some simple steps we can use to reduce wasted food and save money on our grocery bills!
Before grocery shopping or running to the convenience store:
See what you have in the refrigerator or freezer that needs to be eaten right away before it goes bad.
Make a list of ingredients you still need to "recycle" from your leftovers.
Get creative with leftovers:
Cut up leftover meat and put on a salad or stir into cooked grains like rice or pasta.
Mix with softening apples and low-fat mayonnaise for meat salad, then wrap in a tortilla. Or stuff in a pita for a quick breakfast or lunch.
Combine leftover meat and vegetables in soup.
Eat some soup, freeze some for later.
Warm up leftover vegetables with carry-out chicken.
Mix leftover fruits to make a quick fruit salad.
Understand the difference between sell by, used by or best if used by:
Sell by - This is set by the grocer. These foods are still good if eaten past the sell by date.
Used by or best if used by - This does not mean foods are bad after that day. It means you need to use them soon. Condiments like mustard can be kept past this date.
Practice good food safety:
Don't risk eating or drinking anything that you suspect has spoiled.
Eat leftovers within three to four days (or freeze for up to three to four months).
Put a thermometer in the refrigerator to make sure the temperature remains 45 degrees or less.
Store foods properly (visit eatright.org/homefoodsafety/multimedia/infographics/how-to-keep-produce-fresh-longer-infographic for a colorful guide to food safety).
Wash fruits and vegetables right before eating.
Sarah J. Eber is the human nutrition and health program coordinator with the Lincoln University Cooperative Extension.