We now produce enough food for everyone in the world, but 1 in 3 of those food calories are wasted – enough to feed 10 times the population of the United States.

This week in food, learn more about how you can do your part to fight food waste.

Before you meal plan, take inventory of what you already have at home, especially fresh produce. Make your meal plan around the ingredients you already have to avoid wasting any of them.

Make smart choices at the store. Don’t buy a lot of something just because it’s on sale unless you’re sure you’ll use it all.

Learn about how to store your produce the right way for that particular item to make it last as long as possible.

Keeping Things Fresh

One spot or bruise doesn’t mean the whole fruit or veggie is ruined. You can cut off the bad spot and still use the rest in many cases.

Use your scraps, like carrot peelings, onion skins, and tops of celery to make homemade veggie stock, chicken bones or meat scraps for meat stocks and broth, or start a compost to put waste to good use in your garden.

Make the most of your freezer. Freeze leftover fruits and veggies, soups, and even some meals to use later in a hurry for smoothies, dinners, and more.