In Canada, an estimated $31 billion worth of food is wasted each year. That’s almost $850 worth of food per person! A lot of this waste happens at the grocery store or in our homes. But restaurants also play a big role in food waste.

There are many ways that we can all help to reduce food waste, both at home and when dining out. Here are 10 suggestions:

1. Plan your meals for the week and make a grocery list to avoid buying more food than you need.

2. When cooking, only prepare as much food as you will eat. Use leftovers for another meal or freeze them for later.

3. Compost your food scraps instead of throwing them in the garbage.

4. Don’t be a perfectionist when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Embrace “imperfect” produce that may not look cosmetically perfect but is still perfectly edible.

5. Buy in bulk only when you know you will use all of the product before it goes bad.

6. Use a refrigerator thermometer to ensure that your fridge is set at the correct temperature. This will help food last longer and reduce the risk of spoilage.

7. When dining out, order only what you can eat and take leftovers home with you.

8. If you run a food business, donate surplus food to local shelters or food banks instead of throwing it away.

9. Advocate for changes to reduce food waste, such as corporate policies that allow for flexible portion sizes or “ugly produce” sections at grocery stores.

10. Educate yourself and others about the problem of food waste and how we can all help to reduce it.

We can all make a difference in the fight against food waste. By implementing even just a few of these suggestions, we can significantly reduce the amount of food that goes to waste each year. Let’s all do our part to help create a more sustainable future for our planet.