With COVID-19 still spreading and many states under shelter-in-place restrictions, it may be difficult to go about your daily tasks such as grocery shopping. Stocking up on food is great, but it is equally important to not waste what you have. Repurposing food into a delicious quarantine snack can make a big difference!
Furthermore, food waste accounts for close to a third of landfills within the US. So, any effort to save or repurpose food is not only helping you, but also helping the planet.
Here are some ways you can reduce your food waste and also make some tasty quarantine snacks!
Fruit:
If you have any fruit that is going bad, like berries or bananas, a smoothie is the perfect way to use them up and make a healthy snack. Once everything is blended together, you’ll never know
that the fruit wasn’t as fresh.
Bananas can also be used in baking recipes, and are a great thickener for vegan desserts. Banana bread is a great way to go if you have bananas that are too brown to enjoy by themselves.
Citrus, like lemons or oranges, are great for baking as well. Using the zest is a great way to add flavor to scones, cakes, or whatever else you’ve whipped up.
Bread:
If you have a stale baguette or any other sort of bread, the extra crunch can be great for making bread crumbs to top macaroni and cheese, or making breaded chicken.
I’ve been taking our stale bread and toasting it, and then spreading avocado over the top to make delicious avocado toast! I’ve also been adding pieces of parmesan cheese that are otherwise too small to use to the top for some extra flavor.
Another great option is to cut the bread into small chunks, season them, and then toast them to make homemade croutons. With a whole world of breads to explore the possibilities are endless—be creative!
Avocados:
We all know that avocados go bad in the blink of an eye, and turn that unappealing shade of brown that no one wants to eat. A good way to repurpose this greenish-brown mush is to mash it up into a smear or guacamole. What better way to enjoy quarantine than with avocado toast or homemade chips and guac?
PS—A splash of lemon juice gives it a delicious kick of tartness!
Nuts:
If you have the remnants of those last few almonds or cashews that no one wants to finish, grab a big bowl and dump them in!
To make your own trail mix, grab some dried fruit and dark chocolate chips for a healthier version of the crowd favorite.
This is only a start of ways to repurpose your food into snacks. Despite the craziness going on in the world right now, now's the perfect time to get into the kitchen and get creative. Who knows? Maybe you'll make your new favorite creation.