Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1376023
11 What's great about sustainable food practices is that many activities, like composting and in-home gardening, have avid communities behind them and vast resources available for newcomers. If you've been holding off on taking the plunge into meal prepping or herb gardening, consider digging around within your local social media circles or doing a bit of research into how you can take advantage of the materials at your disposal before getting started. As much as you might think that you're going to eat leftovers over the course of a week, you probably won't get around to it. Freezing leftovers is a simple tactic to minimize waste created by tossing spoiled food, and will allow you to enjoy the fruits of your culinary labor over an extended period of time. Soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles are all freezer-friendly dishes, and so are things like avocados, ginger, nuts, and cheese. Composting is an excellent way to eliminate a good portion of the food waste that might go in the trash. Don't let the process intimidate you—composting from the comfort of your kitchen is easier than ever. There are plenty of small-scale compost bins you can tuck beneath the sink or into a cabinet that'll hold scraps such as coffee grounds, vegetable and fruit peels, wilting herbs, and more. When the bin is full, you can drop off your compost at a local compost site or use it to beautify your own outdoor space. Compost can be used to improve the soil fertility of your garden and landscaping, providing nutrients as fertilizer to the crop and acting as a soil conditioner. As always, be sure to check local restrictions and do some research before composting from your backyard or garden. It almost goes without saying, but you're more likely to cook and use ingredients when you grocery shop with a plan in mind. Instead of aimlessly wandering through the aisles, try heading to the store with a strategy and vow only to buy things you need and ingredients for recipes you intend to make that week. You'll actually use what you purchase, save money on groceries, and reduce the overall amount of food you waste. Freeze your leftovers. Compost. Meal prep or write your grocery list in advance.