The post below is sponsored by the Michigan Apple Committee. All opinions expressed belong to me.
As you may know, my kiddos are pretty into all things related to helping our earth. If I’m being honest, my kids rarely have nightmares from things they see on TV, but they do have trouble sleeping thinking about our planet from time to time. It’s the most helpless feeling as a mother!
I usually tell them it must mean it’s time to take action. We’re committed to making more changes in our house this year, but our current big family project is composting.
With things like apple cores, banana and orange peels, barely used paper towels, and more being the majority of items that fill our garbage quickly, we knew it was time to give composting a try. Our hope is this will greatly reduce the amount of garbage our family sends to the dump, and will also help make our lawn and plants healthier.
We recently purchased a large composter from our city and were surprised to learn how easy it was to set-up. We named it “Scrappy” and are all enjoying learning about all the things that can {and can’t!} go inside. The kids have been so helpful and excited with it and I’m happy to have a project they can easily assist with.
In addition to composting scraps and paper products, I’m hoping to cut down more on food waste in our home. Fortunately it isn’t a major issue as a family of five, but we can always make improvements.
The Michigan Apple Committee shared these tips with me, and I thought they’d be perfect to share here if composting isn’t your thing.
8 Tips for Reducing Food Waste at Home:
- Plan your meals for the week and only buy the things needed for those meals. Include quantities for items on your shopping list. Overbuying sale items does not save you money if products end up spoiling.
- Check out what’s in your refrigerator and pantry first to avoid buying food you already have. Plan your menu around those items you want to use up.
- Learn how to store various fresh produce items. Fresh berries should be eaten within several days of purchasing, but apples will stay fresh for several weeks in the refrigerator. In fact, the EverCrisp® — a Honeycrisp and Fuji cross has a long shelf life, maintaining sweetness and firmness for months.
- Freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit, or meat, that you know you won’t be able to eat in time.
- If you have produce that’s past its prime, use it for cooking. Use items like Michigan Apples for baked goods, smoothies, roast them with sweet potatoes, dice into baked beans, or sauté slices to top pork chops.
- Learn the difference between “sell-by,” “use-by,” “best-by,” and expiration dates. Many items tend to be thrown out for fear they have gone bad when they are still safe to consume.
- Plan to use leftovers for lunch on another day. You’ll save money by not eating out and may eat healthier.
- Remember that casseroles, stir-fries, frittatas, soups and smoothies are great ways to use leftovers. Search for websites that provide suggestions for using leftover ingredients. {Love Food Hate Waste is awesome!}
Can you imagine if more families committing to cutting waste? It would make such a big difference in our world!
When it comes to sustainability, Michigan Apple farmers are committed to helping the environment as well. Here are a few of the things they do to promote environmental care:
Michigan Apple Farmers + Commitment To The Environment
- Each year, Michigan Apple growers donate more than one million pounds of apples to hungry families through the Michigan Food Bank Council.
- Michigan integrates natural methods and some organic practices to control pests and disease. Also, NO apple varieties in Michigan are genetically modified {GMO}.
- At all points along the supply chain, recyclable packaging and shipping materials are used, tree trimmings are composted, and across the industry, environmentally friendly lighting and cooling methods are used.
- Michigan’s apple growers have adopted no-till practices to reduce erosion. This helps increase water retention and also promotes soil diversity, decreases carbon emissions and fuel usage from less tractor use and increase carbon in the soil.
- There are 14.9 million apple trees in commercial production in Michigan, capturing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
- Michigan apple growers keep a total of 34,500 acres of land in agriculture and are dedicated to sustaining the clean water and fertile soil that makes Michigan apples the most flavorful apples you can buy.
- Because Michigan is located within 500 miles of half the U.S. population, Michigan apples have a smaller carbon footprint.
Learn more about Michigan Apples, including recipes and more at www.MichiganApples.com or follow the Michigan Apple Committee on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
How does your family work to cut down on food waste?
Leave a Reply