Do you know that about 40% of food gets tossed?

When I see an overstuffed cupboard/pantry, fridge or freezer I feel a bit overwhelmed because I know at least 40% of that food will get thrown out. Either it will rot or expire before people get around to eating it.

Isn’t that crazy that about 40% of the food we buy ends up in trash because we don’t use it in a timely manner? That’s also a lot of the money down the drain. Imagine taking home 10 bags of groceries and the food in four of those bags will end up in a landfill. 

Recently I noticed my local grocery had a buy one/get one free promotion on fresh spinach. I took two containers of spinach. After walking out of the store, I realized I don’t eat spinach like Popeye the Sailor. Rather than waste food, I called a friend to see if he could use it and I shared it that night. When you see those buy one and get one promotions, don’t take the freebie unless you are willing to pass it along in a timely way.  

An easy assignment for your kitchen is to start with your spice collection. Take them all out of the cabinet and check for expiration dates. Spices lose flavor over time. Throw out the expired spices and recycle the bottles whenever possible. See what you have left. If there are duplicates, set those duplicates aside. If there are spices you brought for a special dish and don’t plan on using it again anytime soon, or you don’t like the taste, toss it. No reason for those unwanted spices to take up your valuable spaces. Now with what you have left: organize alphabetically, or by category (herbs vs baking spices), or keep in front those you use the most. Don’t rush to replace spices you threw out unless it’s something you do use. Need help to get started?