Upcycle Your Scraps to Spare Waste
Minimizing food waste is an important issue we can bring into our daily habits. By finding creative ways to upcycle the scraps you typically toss, you'll reduce your food waste and utilize every nutrient.
Let's chat about some creative ideas for turning those food scraps into something more.
Make your own bone broth
You can use the scraps to create a bone broth with a rotisserie chicken. Put it in your slow cooker for a simple, hands-off way to make it, then use it as the base for your soups and sauces.
Turn leftover greens into condiments
If you have beet greens or greens from any vegetable you would throw away, you can convert them into different condiments. Pesto and chimichurri are just two sauces you can make from leftover greens.
Freeze your wilted herbs
When your herbs start wilting, you don't need to throw them away -- you can freeze them using ice cube trays. Cover them with olive oil, and then you can use them to add more flavor to sauces, soups, eggs, and other dishes.
Gather skins and stems from your vegetables
You can upcycle potato peels and other food scraps you'd typically toss to make soups and stews. You can also make your own vegetable broth this way.
Try pickling
Pickling foods is another method for those scraps of food. They take on an entirely new flavor and texture that can add acidity to your meals.
Turn them into chips
When it comes to tough and ruddy food scraps like broccoli, kale, or cauliflower stems, they can have a new purpose as chips or fries. Thinly slice them, toss them with olive oil and seasonings, then put them in your air fryer or oven for a healthy snack.
Pulp can be upcycled, too
Some fruits leave pulp behind when you juice them. Rather than tossing that in the garbage, you can put it in smoothies for greater texture and more fiber to keep you full. Freeze fruit pulp into ice cubes to drop flavor into your water bottle, give pancakes a fruity taste, make dehydrated fruit strips for snacking, make popsicles, homemade granola, or even add it to baked goods. Fruit pulp will give you many uses if you reserve it.
Additionally, you can upcycle food scraps to help around your home and garden. Clean, crushed eggshells can fertilize your plants, while coffee grounds make for an affordable and effective skin scrub. Citrus peels added to white vinegar and water can help you create a natural, non-toxic cleaner you can use in your home. With these upcycled food tips, you will be able to save your budget and reduce your waste all at once.
