Stop Wasting Food, Save Money

My mother used to insist that I clean my plate at every meal. No exceptions. "There are starving children in China who would love to have what you're eating."

"Then let's pack it up and send it to them!" would often be my smart-aleck retort.

I'm no longer a member of the "Clean Plate Club" and as a Lifetime Weight Watchers member, I have learned that always cleaning your plate can be detrimental to a weight-loss plan. But I am cognizant of how much food we Americans discard every day. And also, how much money the average person could save by not wasting so much food.

Walk through any restaurant and observe how much food is left on customers' plates, ready to be thrown away. Most restaurants serve more than the average patron can eat. So we either gorge ourselves on the surplus calories or leave enough behind to feed a homeless family.

But very few servers look down on diners who ask for "a doggy bag"; in fact, they dispense with the euphemism and willingly bring you a box so you can take home your leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Whenever I go out to eat, I immediately assess the food on my plate and determine what I'm going to eat at the restaurant, and what I'm going to take home. The soup and the salad should probably be consumed there. The steak can come home. If I just start eating without making a plan, I risk reaching that point of no return, where there is not enough left on my plate to bother saving. Then my choice is to overeat, or let perfectly good food go to waste.

Not only do we throw away a lot of food in restaurants, but on average, 30% of the food in our refrigerators never gets consumed. Think of the money you could have saved if you had never bought that food!

If your family won't eat leftovers, learn to cook less. If you do have food left over, put it away promptly, store it where it won't be overlooked, package it in useful portions, and label it correctly, so it stands a better chance of being eaten before it spoils. Instead of going out for lunch and spending ten dollars, why not heat up a piece of last night's lasagna?

Have a plan when you go grocery shopping, so you avoid impulse buys that don't fit into your menu. Just because you have a coupon for something, or an item is on sale or cheaper per ounce in the larger package, doesn't mean it's a bargain if it will sit in your refrigerator or on your shelf until it rots.

Organize your storage spaces so like items are grouped together, and the oldest expiration date gets used first. That way, you're less likely to purchase something you stocked up on last month and forgot about.

By shopping, storing, and cooking smarter, as well as making efficient use of leftovers, you can reduce your food budget without depriving yourself of anything. And more will be left for those starving children in China!

What tips do you have for eliminating food waste? I would love to hear your comments.

Sharon Marchisello is the author of Live Cheaply, Be Happy, Grow Wealthy.