How to cut down food waste (and fight climate change)

Bread Freezing

Freezing bread is a simple yet effective way to maintain its freshness. Marielle Segarra advises slicing and freezing bread immediately to avoid waste. This method ensures you have fresh bread daily without the risk of spoilage 1.

Put sliced bread in the freezer and take the sliced bread out of the freezer during the week and put it into the toaster. And you have fresh bread every day without risking wasting the bread.

--- Marielle Segarra

Additionally, frozen bread can be easily reheated in a toaster or oven, making it indistinguishable from freshly baked bread 1.

   

Vegetable Freezing

Freezing vegetables is an excellent way to lock in flavor and nutrients. Marielle Segarra suggests using frozen vegetable scraps as a base for homemade broth, which is both economical and delicious 1.

Scraps of veggies, if you freeze them, are the perfect base for a broth.

--- Marielle Segarra

This approach not only extends the shelf life of vegetables but also reduces food waste significantly 1.

   

Multi-purpose Freezing

The versatility of freezing extends beyond bread and vegetables. Marielle Segarra highlights that almost any food, including fruits, grains, and even milk, can be frozen to prevent waste 1. This method is particularly useful for items that are about to spoil.

I freeze anything that I'm not going to use quickly.

--- Marielle Segarra

Freezing these items ensures they remain usable for longer periods, making it easier to manage food supplies efficiently 2.

   

Economic Benefits

Freezing food offers significant economic benefits by reducing waste and saving money. Marielle Segarra notes that the average household in the US wastes between $150 to $200 a month on food that could be preserved through freezing 1.

No one would throw away anything that had a $200 value to it.

--- Marielle Segarra

By making the freezer a key tool in food management, households can significantly cut down on unnecessary expenses 1.