Every meal we prepare is a chance to make more sustainable choices, and reducing food waste is one of the simplest places to start. A significant amount of household food waste comes from overbuying, poor planning, and not using ingredients to their full potential. With a few small habit shifts, the impact can be meaningful for both the environment and your wallet.

Planning meals ahead of time and shopping with intention helps ensure food is actually eaten rather than forgotten in the fridge. Using ingredients creatively is another easy win — vegetable stems, peels, and leftovers can often be repurposed into soups, stocks, or next-day meals. Freezing food before it spoils extends its life and reduces the temptation to throw it away, while composting unavoidable scraps keeps organic waste out of landfills.

Sustainable eating doesn’t require drastic changes. It’s about being more mindful of what we buy, how we cook, and how we manage what’s left behind. When we treat food as a valuable resource rather than something disposable, small daily choices add up to a healthier planet — one plate at a time.