Category Archives: Household

Sneaky Frugality

While cruising the Interweb, I came across this cry for help from a mom trying to feed picky eaters with already-cooked carrots, cauliflower and squash she was given. Apparently, her husband and sons refuse to eat those items. The suggestions focused on pureeing the vegetables to hide them in foods her family would eat. One […]

September 29, 2008 | Posted in Household | Comments closed

Improving Expiration Dates

Many in the supermarket industry look forward to the days when all items have RFID tags. These tiny transmitters would essentially eliminate the need for check out registers, dramatically cutting stores’ labor costs. A new kind of RFID tag that University of Manchester (UK) researchers are developing could help reduce waste. The tags would be […]

September 25, 2008 | Also posted in Food Safety, Supermarket | Comments closed

Produce Pointers

The fine people at USA Pears have given us all a gift: this awesome guide to selecting and storing produce. As you’ll see, it’s quite comprehensive. For example, what the heck is celtuce? Buying fruits and vegetables at the right stage of ripeness is crucial for avoiding waste. We’ve all had that avocado ripen before […]

August 28, 2008 | Posted in Household | Comments closed

Vacuum-sealed Results

Two weeks ago, I wrote about testing the Handi-Vac vacuum sealer. The results are in, folks. I’d expected that vacuum sealing, whether to freeze or refrigerate, would make food last longer. True indeed. After 16 days, the Handi-Vac green beans were a little slimy, but still firm. They were beginning to turn, but still didn’t […]

August 27, 2008 | Also posted in Composting | Comments closed

Marion Nestle Q & A

Marion Nestle is a Professor in NYU’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health and author of What to Eat, Food Politics and more. Marion was kind enough to share her insights on food waste and American’s eating habits in this e-mail interview. — WF: Not knowing when things go bad and what to […]

August 26, 2008 | Also posted in Composting, Q & A, Restaurant, Supermarket | Comments closed

Sub-Zero Waste?

Refrigerator maker Sub-Zero just announced that several new features in its units will help cut food waste. S-Z claims many advances, including air scrubbers and separate compressors (and humidity levels) for the fridge and freezers. Equally important, though, is that the new units will include “freshness guide” cards. These built-in cheat sheets will remind folks […]

August 19, 2008 | Posted in Household | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Gotta love this well-executed leftovers humor, courtesy of The Onion. — Welcome news: Due to rising food prices, 62 percent of shoppers at the British chain Sainsbury’s are concerned about wasted food. Even more heartening, about 1/3 of those polled report that they’re doing something about it–by making food stretch over a couple of meals. […]

August 15, 2008 | Also posted in Composting, Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Vac to Work?

After seeing me on the Today Show, the friendly folks at Reynolds sent me a Handi-Vac vacuum sealer to test. Never one to shun freebies, especially those that might prevent food waste, I set out to do some experimenting. This weekend, I began testing a Handi-Vac against a Ziploc bag. I stored green beans in […]

August 12, 2008 | Also posted in Technology | Comments closed

Friday Buffet: Lucky 8-8-08 Edition

I agree in spirit, but this might be taking things a tad too far: Don’t Play with Your Food. — — Then again, cleaning your grill with an onion seems a bit silly. Why not a wire brush or rag (as some commenters on the Lifehacks post wondered)? — — A new zero-waste initiative at […]

August 8, 2008 | Also posted in Composting, Friday Buffet | Comments closed

Whole Changes

Here’s a really interesting article on how Whole Foods is attempting to shed its “Whole Paycheck” image. Read through waste-hued glasses, I found two instances of waste in the making. Whole Foods, through its in-store thrift tours, is steering shoppers towards bulk buying: Value packages of fresh cod and salmon were a dollar a pound […]

August 7, 2008 | Also posted in Supermarket | Comments closed