The Healthyish Guide to Low-Waste Cooking
America, we have a food waste problem. All those wilted scallions, forgotten leftovers, and expired milks add up. But there’s good news: We’re also working hard on solutions at every level, from policy changes that are proven to work to innovative companies curbing waste at the source to practical approaches you can apply in your own kitchen. We’ve got a deep dive on the state of food waste in America, a super-helpful guide to composting, delicious recipes that will inspire you to dig into your crisper drawer, and plenty more ways to start taking actionable steps today. —Patrick Symmes, contributor
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Maggie Ruggiero, prop styling by Sophia Pappas2/15Spring-y Brothy Beans
If you’ve got hardy greens in your fridge that aren’t getting any younger, blanch and then blend them into a silky-smooth purée that enlivens a simple bowl of beans (you can use this trick to green-ify any brothy soup, FYI). This Spring-y Brothy Beans recipe calls for kale but is meant to help you make use of whatever greens you’ve got, from Swiss chard to spinach to herbs that have seen better days. —Andy Baraghani, senior food editor
Illustration by William Luz3/15Use up your bits n’ bobs
Three ways to customize your Spring-y Brothy Beans:
- Wilty herbs welcome! Add over-the-hill parsley or cilantro to the pot in the last few seconds when blanching kale.
- Use green Swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, or mustard greens instead of kale.
- If you’ve got a random onion half or single lone scallion, throw it in with the leeks.
Illustration by William Luz4/15Stop making excuses and start composting
Composting creates healthier soil, recycling the nutrients we don’t consume back into the earth to promote carbon capture and water absorption. It minimizes the energy needed to process our waste when we compost in backyards or at neighborhood sites instead of faraway dumps. And it can reduce up to a third of what ends up in landfills along with the planet-warming methane produced by them. Giving composting the same thought we use to shop, cook, and eat creates a stronger food system—and it’ll even make your trash less smelly. Here’s how to get started. —Aliza Abarbanel, contributor
Read more: How to Stop Making Excuses and Start Composting Already
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Maggie Ruggiero, prop styling by Sophia Pappas5/15Pork Chops With Broccoli Salsa Verde
Broccoli stems have radish-like crunch and sweet flavor but all too often get discarded. In this salsa verde recipe, they get charred until they’ve slightly softened, then finely chopped and tossed with briny olives, herbs, vinegar, and olive oil to make an assertive sauce for pork chops (or halibut, cod, or steak). —A.B.
Illustration By William Luz6/15Embrace the full broc
Making Pork Chops With Broccoli Salsa Verde isn’t the only way to use those broccoli stems. Here are some other ideas:
- Thinly slice crosswise into rounds and toss into stir-fries.
- Finely chop and fold into your favorite frittata filling.
- Shave for a salad with other crunchy players like fennel and apple.
Illustration by William Luz7/15Read all about it
If you want to go deeper on food waste and sustainability in general, there are several new books that’ll deepen your knowledge:
- Try The Waste-Free World by Ron Gonen, which highlights innovations to help us reduce waste.
- Jocelyn C. Zuckerman’s Planet Palm looks at the human and environmental toll of palm oil, which is in roughly half of all products on grocery store shelves.
- And Bill Gates’s How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is a clear-eyed yet optimistic plan for getting the world to zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Maggie Ruggiero, prop styling by Sophia Pappas8/15Stir-Fried Noodles With Chicken
Illustration by William Luz9/15Save limp carrots, celery stalks, and onion bits
From Stir-Fried Noodles With Chicken to soup, stews, and beyond, there are plenty more ways to use odds and ends:
- Throw them all into a ziptop freezer bag and save for making stock.
- Cut carrots and celery into large pieces and cook in a soup, braise, or stew.
- Caramelize onions for mujadara, omelets, or a savory galette.
You can store your food scraps in anything with a lid, whether that’s this sleek stainless-steel compost bin or gallon mason jars and empty yogurt containers, though large households or cooks who use a lot of produce will probably want a bigger bin. Keep it on the counter for easy access while cooking. —A.A.
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Maggie Ruggiero, prop styling by Sophia Pappas11/15Orange Peel Chai
This tea combines warming spices with the bright, bitter flavor of orange peels. Perfect for sick days, the recipe is totally adaptable—add cloves or fennel seeds, or stir in ground spices at the end. And if you like your drinks on the savory side, try adding ¼ tsp. smoky black cardamom. —Sonia Chopra, executive editor
Illustration by William Luz12/15Don’t scrap ’em!
Got leftover citrus peels after making Orange Peel Chai? Try:
- Adding them to a homemade vinegar-based household cleaner for a citrusy scent.
- Dropping them into a neutral spirit like vodka to infuse.
- Composting them, of course!
Illustration by William Luz13/15Stick this compost guide on your fridge
If it grows, it goes. That’s the cardinal rule, but the full spectrum of what you can compost depends on the scale of your composting facility. Smaller collection sites such as community gardens often reject oily food scraps and bones as well as biodegradable liners, and you should follow suit if you’re processing compost at home. Check with your spot first, then click here to save or print this handy guide. —A.A.
Illustration by William Luz15/154 Final Tips
Laurie David, coauthor with Heather Reisman of the new book Imagine It! A Handbook for a Happier Planet, shares four tips to reduce waste at home.
Embrace the Bumps
Thousands of pieces of misshapen fruit are thrown away every day because people reject the slight imperfections that nature is bound to impart—we’re talking bumps, small bruises, and odd shapes. Let’s give our fruits and veggies a break and be a bit less demanding about what we buy.
Organize Smartly
Placing just-purchased food behind what is already in your fridge will go a long way toward helping you remember what you have and what you need to use first.
Take Expiration Dates With a Grain of Salt
Dates on food packages are usually approximate indications of when the food might be at its best, not absolute confirmation of when something has gone bad. Always smell a product before throwing it out.
This One’s Easy: Make Soup
At the end of every week, clean out your fridge and toss all those fading veggies and any leftovers you’ve got hanging around into your favorite pot. Add some onions, garlic, and a good amount of veggie broth and not only do you have a head start on Sunday dinner, but you have also lowered your food carbon footprint by keeping it out of a landfill.
