avoiding food waste

Molly says:
Angie's last post (see below) reminded me that I had this post knocking around in our drafts section so I thought I'd better get to publishing it.
I enjoyed this article about a study that estimated we throw away about 14% of the food we buy. There are lots of handy tips on using everything you buy. It advocates reducing waste, cutting costs and safeguarding health by shopping and eating smarter.
Don't buy more than you need. Check fridge often to see what needs to be used or frozen before it spoils. Shop with planned meals in mind. Only buy sale items you know you'll use -- food that's unhealthy or that you don't like is never a bargain no matter what the price.
This is a good article too, talking about how people in Britain are being encourged to return to World War II frugality. It probably wasn't much fun at the time, but I've always loved the idea of the ways in which people cut back during that time period. The masses coming together to grow vegetable gardens and give up many material goods.
My best food-using tip is to check your fridge or cabinet for something that's been sitting there for awhile, waiting for its moment to shine, and search online for a recipe based on that one ingredient, no matter how obscure. For instance, I just opened a little can of chipotle peppers in adobo, and I only needed a teaspoon and I have no idea what to do with the leftovers. The list of recipes is usually really interesting and I get all sorts of dishes I might not have thought to seek out on my own. For instance, these yummy-sounding cheddar burgers with balsamic onions and chipotle ketchup. Or this pan-fried red snapper with chipotle butter. 102 recipes at my fingertips all courtesy of a little can of chipotles.
OH and it that food you throw away is produce, be sure to dump it in a compost heap and not in your garbage can.