As the school year comes to an end, there are a million things on college students’ minds. Whether it’s studying for an upcoming final in every free moment or finding a way to get all your belongings from the last year back to your hometown, thoughts of what is left in our kitchens can go to the back burner which can lead to an abundance of food waste at the end of the semester.
As a result of months of stress, random grocery hauls, and food getting pushed down the list of meals to eat, pantries are loaded with different chips, crackers, cookies, and junk and my freezer has no end in sight. Panic begins to set it when I realize this food can’t stay here for three months while I’m hours away, and the thought of throwing it all away is a disgrace. However, there are ways I can utilize these ingredients to make fulfilling meals and prepare better to insure this problem never returns. We sat down to have a conversation with Victoria Vonapartis, a Montreal-based food influencer who has a special interest in sharing low-waste tips and tricks, including recipes, tricks, and reviews.
Don’t fall for the ‘wants,’ not ‘needs,’ in the grocery store.
The journey of limiting food waste starts in the grocery store. How we got into the situation of only having a random veggie you’ve never tried before and an instant-made bag of flavored rice starts with how you shop.“There were countless times I would fall into the trap of cute packaging when going to the grocery store,” Vonapartis explained. “Making sure you walk into the store with intention, knowing exactly what you have already and what you need and sticking to that list alone will be sure to limit the food waste at the end of the semester.”
Make Pinterest your new recipe-finding best friend.
One of the most tempting parts of living on a lively college campus is the variety of chain restaurants all around. The random block of cheese, frozen chicken nuggets, and pasta in my fridge doesn’t sound as appealing as a burger from my favorite chain. Finding ways to make those ingredients sound appealing is the first step in limiting food waste. Instead of opening up the DoorDash app, open up Pinterest, and search up easy recipes with those ingredients. Make a chicken mac and cheese or fire up those frozen hashbrowns in the freezer and make a cheesy potato dish. There are countless people who have been in your exact same situation, and their recipes can change the look of those random items.
Host a roommate leftovers party.
College is one of the few times you may have the opportunity to live with your best friends. The end of the semester can get super stressful and you might find yourself not having time to spend with the people you enjoy the most. Chances are, if you are in the situation of not knowing what to do with all that random food, your roommates are too, and this can actually work to your advantage. Set up a night of the week that everyone will be home, and create a buffet-like casual dinner party. Everyone takes the random things they have and makes a dish, and you all can share family style. That random freezer lasagna might make your stomach churn, but your roommate could be looking for a little taste of home, and that is just the thing. Sharing is caring, and sharing here will limit the trashed items later on.
Old fruit and vegetables do not need to be thrown away.
Finding ways to make eating leftovers fun may not seem like another thing you want to add on your plate, but it will be worth it in the long run. The things you have already have the potential to be your next favorite meal. “I learned how to stretch the dollar and utilise all the ingredients we had on hand to make something great,” Vonapartis said. “Falling into the trap of consumption never has a good outcome.” Those random vegetables you have laying on their last few days don’t have to immediately be thrown away. They can be put together into a soup, and an incredible recipe posted by Vonapartis shows how simple this really can be. Those bruised apples at the bottom of the fruit basket that aren’t quite ruined yet can be chopped up, sauteed with some butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and be a delicious post-studying sweet treat.
The feeling of throwing away lots of food at the end of the year will leave a bad taste in your mouth, but with a little creativity, you can create something delicious. Use up what you have, save a few bucks, and head out of the semester with a clear mind.