(ThyBlackMan.com) I have to admit it. Americans are a wasteful bunch – perhaps the most wasteful people on the planet.
While much of the world struggles to find its next meal, one quarter of all food produced in the United States is discarded!
Restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets are big culprits to be sure. But we waste an awful lot in our own kitchens. Recently, a 2006 study determined that we waste nearly 14% of all the food we buy.
I’m guilty as charged – half used sticks of margarine found in the back of the fridge and discarded months later, wilted salad turing brown in the crisper, and long forgotten left-overs mutating into strange new creations.
Here’s the kicker. This wasted food costs the average family of four nearly $600 a year! Now I don’t have to tell you $600 is no 
chump change. That’s $600 of your hard earned money thrown right out with the trash!
Let’s take a closer look at some ways we can cut the waste and keep more money in your pocket and mine.
Stop the Spoilage in Your Fridge
Do you have left-over horror stories – strange smells and sights from something that at one point was considered edible? Is your milk going sour in less than a week? You may be surprised to learn that the culprit could be the temperature inside your fridge.
Refrigeration keeps harmful food bacteria in check, as long as the temperature remains below 40 degrees F (37F is preferable). When the temperature rises above 40F bacteria multiply rapidly, resulting in food spoilage, or worse – food poisoning.
The frightening fact – according to an university study, most family refrigerators enter the 40 degree and above danger zone for at least part of the day.
You and I may be to blame. It seems that little dial in our fridge doesn’t accurately tell us the actual temperature inside the refrigerator. To do this we need a special refrigerator thermometer.
This simple $8 investment allows us to set the proper refrigerator temperature, keeping our food from spoiling prematurely and our family from getting food poisoning.
Don’t Store Eggs and Other Perishables on the Refrigerator Door
Yes, I know this seems counterintuitive. Refrigerator manufacturers build egg holders right into the refrigerator door. Yet, studies show that the door is the very place in the fridge that’s likely to reach several degrees higher than the rest of the refrigerator.
Extend the life of your butter, eggs, salad dressing, milk and other perishables by placing them in the center of fridge instead of the door. You can save door storage for more stable items like soda, mustard, and syrup.
Perform a Trash Audit
Believe it or not, your garbage holds the key to future savings. Simply check out what you’re constantly throwing away.
Too many old bananas in the trash? Consider cutting back, even when they’re on sale. Half empty containers of milk being discard? Purchase the half gallon container instead of the gallon jug. Trash full of stale bread? Focus on buying fewer or smaller loafs. Save money. Use your trash to guide your future purchasing habits.
Fully Utilize Your Left-Overs
If you’re like me, you’ve placed left-overs in the fridge only to forget about them. It seems the fridge is the place left-overs go to die. Interestingly, this is food that we’ve taken the time to shop for and prepare. Yet, we frequently treat left-overs like a forgotten step-child.
Save money. Take your left-overs to work the next day. You’re co-workers will look on with envy as they take the cellophane wrappers off their overpriced ham sandwich. Here’s an interesting idea. Once a week have “left-over” night to make sure everything gets eaten. Your family will love the variety.
Create left-over magic. Give your left-overs a quick makeover. Eggs can be a quick and convenient life saver. Combine eggs with left-over vegetables and meat to create quick and delicious dinner omelettes.
Meat leftovers and salad greens make a perfect match. The heat of the meat contrasts deliciously with the coolness of the salad greens. Almost any sauce from the previous night’s meal can be layered over a baked potato. Shred some leftover chicken, add some cheese and you have a delicious second act.
Rotate Your Food
Ever notice the tendency for grocery stores to place the freshest items near the back of the display case? Supermarkets rotate products. Older items are stacked toward the front. Newer items placed toward the rear. This ensures older items are purchased before the newer ones.
Use the very same principle in your fridge and cupboards. Placing new groceries in the front of your refrigerator simply pushes older food to the back. This virtually guarantees that the half used stick of butter, two lone eggs, or quarter carton of milk never gets used.
Instead, take a few extra minutes to rotate your food. Place the new groceries in back and move your older items to the front.
What are some of the ways you cut food waste and save money in the process? Share your experiences. Leave a comment below.
Staff Writer; Dr. Charles Alonzo Peters
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