I do yes - in fact absolutely nothing ever goes to waste in my house - as apart from always planning my meals for the week ahead, making a shopping list and only buying what I need - which helps to avoid that happening - all vegetable skins and off cuts that can't be saved and used for making stock - along with fruit peels, cores, coffee grounds etc get put on the compost pile - which once broken down help feed the soil the following year.
I am a big waster of food and many other resources. Then there are times like this when I am so broke that I cannot have any kind of luxury that I feel guilty and wonder why I wasted this or that. I hate myself at times like this. I know it could be worse. But I also know it can and will be better.
Generally, yes. We only buy enough fresh produce (like fruits and vegetables) for the week so that they don't go off by the end of the week. Sometimes we buy other things like frozen products in bulk (due to deals etc.), but apart from that, we only buy as much as we need per week. We have a few vegetables and fruits that we buy regularly, and others that we add on if we want to make something special that week. We used to waste a lot a while back, but now it's a lot better.
To avoid waste I use the freezer to keep the food fresh and to save what may have been thrown out. I make soup to use the leftovers and only cook what we are going to eat. And not cook any new meals as long as there are leftovers in the refrig. It does not always work but it does a cut down alot of waste.
I try so hard to eat everything before they go bad even if it means I have to stuff myself silly because I just can't stand throwing something out that could've went right in my stomach. Good food should not be wasted and I strongly believe in that because I feel quite sad when I had to throw something out because it went bad. But it's not I don't finish it, it's more like sometimes you think you can eat more then you actually can and in the end you find that you bought more then you can eat. Especially when you go shopping on an empty stomach, everything looks appetizing and I over buy occasionally. But lately it's been better because I always eat my fruits and vegetables as soon as possible and we buy more preserved food so it'll last longer. Gotta prevent waste.
Every so often I end up wasting food that I didn't mean to. I'll forget something in the bottom of a crisper or I won't make it through all the leftovers I've said. I usually tend to use 95% of what I buy, though.
We waste a fair amount of food. mostly bread and crash fruits and vegetables. We try not.to waste.but there always seems to be something. It is hard not to.waste.
When I learned that so much of the food that we buy gets thrown away, I decided that I would do everything that I could to mean that nothing more would be wasted in my house. So, I have done that, and I will now only buy things when I know that I am going to get the chance to eat them at some point. I think it is much better to make a plan, as it not only means that you're going to avoid wasting food, but also that you will be able to save money, which has to be a good thing!
I feel terrible throwing out food. Sometimes I'll over buy produce and not use it all during the week and end up find it in the fridge 2 weeks later and it will have gone off. This happens to me with lettuce or some fruits like blueberries or strawberries. I am trying to be better and just buy the produce I need and use it immediately so it doesn't spoil before I can use it. Thus saving money. I feel like I'm just throwing money away when I find a box of mushy strawberries at the back of the fridge and have to toss them.
I agree with you about hating to waste, but I think we've all done this. Being careful not to overbuy is the first thing I had to start working on. I also have to be careful to "rotate the stock" in the fridge every so often, just like they do at the stores. Move the oldest items to the front and put the newest items behind them, so the foods that need to get used up, do. Good menu planning helps too. I'm still far from perfect, but I'm trying to make sure I'm not throwing away a bunch of food.
I admit I don't always end up consuming everything I buy, but thankfully over the years I have learned more and more how to better buy groceries so I don't end up wasting too much money on them. One of the biggest culprits for me before was spices, because I'd buy a bottle of dried or powdered spice but I only end up using it a few times, so now before I buy it I make sure I have plans on how I can use it over and over before it gets old and clumps up.
I'm quite good about ensuring everything I buy gets eaten - I can't afford to throw money away. If I have got a surplus of perishable goods, I tend to use them in a batch cook. Bananas which are on the turn get made into cakes/bread, carrots, onions and potatoes can go into a nice pot of lentil soup and I'll often make pastry with butter which has only a day or so left. It then goes into the freezer, portioned appropriately. I had to visit the local food bank once, around a year ago when things got very tight. I promised myself then that I'd never waste another scrap of food again. I'm lucky enough to live and work near three good supermarkets though so buying fresh items on an "as and when" basis is easy for me.
I hate wasting food because I know there are so many hungry people out there who would be grateful to have what I have. If I can't finish a meal in one go I usually put it up for later, or the next day, or simple give one of my family members. You see my family is close, and so we always share food, plus we have a dog who we give the bones and scraps to after. In Jamaica we do this thing called Turned Cornmeal which can be made simply by boiling water and slowly adding cornmeal while mixing and turning until it's fully cooked. During the boiling processes you can just add in the scraps and it will be incorporated into the mush for a full meal. When you turn off the fire it should be harder than a 'muffin texture.' Another way we like to save on food, especially with fruits and vegetables is to turn those scraps into compost and use it in our garden in the backyard.
