I cleared out the fridge this morning and it was gross and depressing and disappointing. There was a lot of food that had been good but went bad before it was eaten. I won’t share pictures because I don’t want to remember them and you shouldn’t have to see them. Instead I’m going to make a set of rules and processes for myself so that it never (or only very very rarely) gets this bad again. I’ll do a different post about ways of dealing with the food waste, not all of which is fully avoidable even if I follow all of these new rules. I’ll just say that none of it went in the trash. I did manage to compost all of it in two different ways. Anyway, here is what I’ve worked out so far.
- Clear out the fridge at least once a week. Do it on Monday. If not Monday, then Tuesday or Wednesday. Don’t let more than two weeks go by without dealing with it.
- When I have more than one serving (or even just one serving) of leftovers and the food is good enough to share, offer it to a friend. (I already do this but obviously I could do it more.)
- Keep an inventory list updated for freezer, fridge, and other perishable items.
- Make a meal plan each week, referencing the inventory list.
- Freeze extra portions and label them (with dates). Add them to a freezer inventory list.
- Buy a thermos and pack leftovers to bring as lunch on days out.
- Make half or quarter portions of recipes. (I usually do this but recipe testing often makes it difficult.)
If I do even two of these things, the situation will improve. I’ll also save time and money, especially with the last four items.
