SCS32-W6 | Real-Life Problem Solving Challenge: Reduce Food Waste At Home

Many households experience waste food, and the best way to avoid food waste is proper planning and good habits, which can help to reduce food waste otherwise food waste will keep occuring.

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What arrangements do you make at home that help you avoid waste?

Planning my meals is the way of me avoiding food waste. Before going to the market to buy foodstuffs, I make sure that I have already prepared my shopping list based on the items that I need, which helps me to avoid buying unnecessary items at the market.

To buy my most necessary items from the market, I check the following before leaving the house.

• I do check if the food items that I need are already available

• I store perishable food like pepper, onions, tomato, vegetables, and cooked meals properly in the refrigerator.

• I do finish consuming older food items first before opening newly purchased ones.

• I do monitor the expiring dates on packaged foods.

Items arranged in my kitchen

^{Food in refrigerator}

In my photographs, you can see a picture of food items arranged in my kitchen and Refrigerator showing properly stored food.

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What is the most common reason for food waste in your home, and how do you solve it?

The common reason for food waste in my home is usually cooking more food than necessary, especially during weekends or when I'm expecting or having a visitor around. Most of the time, I cook more than my stomach can handle, and I do get tired of eating one food most of the time.

How do I solve it:

• For rice or beans, I do make use of a measuring cup to measure the quantity of rice based on the number of people eating before cooking.

• I do put leftover food in the refrigerator immediately to avoid it getting spoiled.

• I do make sure that I eat leftover food the next day instead of cooking another food.

• As for fruits, I do consume them before they become overripe.

^{Leftover foods}

From the above image, you can see a leftover soup that I prepared two days ago in my refrigerator.

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What is one good habit you have that helps you effectively reduce food waste?

Instead of putting too much food that we cannot finish on a plate when we want to eat, I want to eat, I serve the quantity that I can finish, which is what we should do. If I am still hungry, I do take more, but putting too much quantity is a no-go for me.

These habits me has been helping me in the following ways:

• It helps to reduce plate waste.

• Help me save money on food expenses.

• It helps to encourage appreciation for food.

• Help me to reduce the unnecessary disposal of edible food.

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Prepare any one dish and explain how to save it. How do you keep it from spoiling?

Jollof rice and beans are what I prepared. After eating the quantity that I can, I then allow the remaining food to cool before transferring it into a clean airtight container. I removed the egg from the rice and ate it immediately, had atill have a raw egg that I can cook anytime. I then place the container inside the refrigerator.

You can see the food and a handwritten card beside the food with my Steemit username (@josepha) and SCS32-W6 beside the food.

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What advice would you give to all these families that would help them reduce food waste at home?

Here is my advice to all these families that want to reduce food waste at home.

• Ensure you always prepare a shopping list before going to the market to avoid buying unnecessary items.

• Cook only the quantity your household can consume.

• Store food properly in clean containers or in the refrigerator.

• Ensure that you finish eating leftovers before cooking another meal

• Teach your children to avoid wasting food by serving them small portions, which you can add to after they have finished eating the small portion.

I am inviting: @dove11, @entity01, and @ruthjoe
Cc:- @ahsansharif