GREENSBORO, N.C. — Having to throw away uneaten food from the fridge is like throwing money right in the garbage—something that’s even more painful with today’s high food prices.
Consumer Reports’ home editor, who’s a classically trained chef, will do just about anything to keep food from going in the garbage.
"My biggest pet peeve is wasting food. Not only is it a waste of money, but it also seems unethical. So I go to great lengths to do whatever he can to use food before it goes bad," said Paul Hope, Consumer Reports.
Hope recently repurposed leftover meat to make several different meals for a week, something he does often. For example, Hope has used beef stew as a topping on nachos, hot dog buns for dessert, and hamburger buns for grilled cheese.
Another great tip for saving is meal planning. When mapping out meals for the week, you can buy in bulk. Buy frozen vegetables, for example, and use just the portion you need for a meal.
"One way to make sure expensive proteins can be used for different dishes throughout the week is to keep them as plain as possible, because once you alter the flavor of something you can’t undo that," said Hope.
Then add the unique seasonings to the portion you need for the day’s meal. Round out the meal with any veggies you may have that are almost past their prime.
THE BEST WAY TO STORE YOUR GROCERIES IN THE FRIDGE
When it comes to storing food, CR says that keeping groceries on the right shelves and in bins in your fridge can help cut down on food waste and save you money.
For your more expensive grocery items, such as meat and eggs, you want to store them on the lower shelves inside your refrigerator, which tend to be coldest.
Don’t be afraid to use your freezer. Something like bread is going to last a lot longer when it’s frozen.
CR says to save your fridge door for items like butter and condiments instead of milk or eggs. That’s because temperatures on your refrigerator door tend to be a few degrees higher than the inside shelves.