Just Eat It: Clean-Out-the-Fridge Soup Challenge

Your fridge's back corner might be hosting a science experiment that's costing you money! Here's five simple ways to stop wasting food and save some cash in the process.

We've all been there—opening the refrigerator door to find limp celery, fuzzy berries, and mysterious containers with contents we'd rather not identify. That moment of guilt as we toss yet another forgotten vegetable into the compost bin. But what if I told you this isn't just about wasted money, but a deeper story about our relationship with food, resources, and even our planet?

Vegetable scraps were kept in the freezer awaiting use as stock.

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The History of Waste Not, Want Not

I recently looked up the history of the saying "waste not, want not." It essentially means that using your resources wisely will keep you from poverty. This proverbial wisdom was first recorded in 1772, but had an earlier, even more pointed version: "willful waste makes woeful want." Pretty much pokes you in the eyeballs reading it, doesn't it?

While this exact phrase didn't echo through my childhood home, wasting food was considered practically sinful in my family. I understand why—my parents were born during The Great Depression, when every scrap mattered. Food was meant to be eaten, not found in the rubbish!

Today's reality paints a troubling picture: on average, we throw away about 25% of the food we purchase. I suspect that number climbs even higher when you include those stale crackers hiding in pantry corners and expired canned goods with questionable odours.

Five Ways to Stop Wasting Precious Food

1. Do a Pantry Purge

When I help clients with a "pantry purge," we methodically go through everything, reading labels and discussing what actually supports their health goals and taste preferences. I recommend you do the same: dig through those cupboards and use what you already have before bringing home more groceries. You might be surprised by the forgotten treasures (and yes, occasional science experiments) you'll discover.

2. Eat Out of the Fridge

Here's a challenge that can transform your relationship with food: commit to eating only what's currently in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry until it's substantially gone! This doesn't mean consuming questionable foods that smell off—food safety always comes first. But it does mean getting creative with what you have instead of running to the store for new ingredients. Try this exercise before a particularly busy period when you know fresh groceries might go unused.

3. Buy In-Season Produce

I've found that when you center your meals around in-season produce, you're naturally less likely to waste food. There's a beautiful logic to this: seasonal fruits and vegetables taste better, offer more nutrition, look more appealing, and often cost less than their out-of-season counterparts. This connection to natural growing cycles helps us appreciate food more deeply and consume it before it spoils.

4. Share With Someone

Did you snag an amazing deal on bulk oranges or a case of tomatoes? Share your bounty! Unless you're planning to preserve them, you probably won't use 30 pounds of fresh fruit or four bags of carrots before they start to deteriorate. The same goes for pantry staples—most households don't need 26 packages of crackers, no matter how good the sale price was. Remember: something isn't a bargain if it ends up in the trash. (And yes, I'm partly talking to myself here!)

5. Practice Ethical Consumption

It seems obvious that we should buy only what we need, but in our consumption-driven culture, "more" is often positioned as "better." Let's commit to more mindful purchasing habits. Just because you can buy something doesn't mean you should. Before checkout, ask yourself: "Will we actually eat all of this before it goes bad?" This simple question can revolutionize your shopping patterns.

The Clean-Out-The-Fridge Soup Challenge

Instead of sharing a specific recipe today, I invite you to create a "Clean-Out-The-Fridge Soup" using vegetables that are about to expire. The beauty of soup is its flexibility and forgiveness.

Basic Framework:

• Sauté one small chopped onion in olive oil until translucent

• Add 4 chopped carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, and any other vegetables needing to be used—perhaps ½ small head of broccoli or ¼ head of cabbage

• Pour in 8-10 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

• Add pearl barley, rice, or noodles for substance

• Season with herbs and spices you already have on hand

• Simmer until everything is tender

Feel free to experiment with the amounts and ingredients. Green beans, peas, cauliflower, that single zucchini, or those last few mushrooms—anything can find purpose in this soup. Serve with locally purchased bread (or thaw one from your freezer, or bake a fresh loaf using flour that's been sitting in your pantry) and enjoy!

Your Food Waste Story

Our relationship with food waste tells a deeper story about our values, habits, and awareness. My story includes learning from Depression-era parents who taught me that respecting food means using every bit of it. It includes moments of guilt when cleaning out forgotten produce, and the satisfaction of creating meals that prevent waste.

What's your food waste story? Are you an expert at repurposing leftovers, or do you struggle with buying more than you can use? Have you found creative ways to preserve seasonal abundance? I'd love to hear your challenges and triumphs in reducing food waste in your home.

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