We asked 6 chefs for their secrets to reduce food waste — and we're stealing their tips ASAP
Whether it's stems and skins or past-their-prime protein and produce, you're probably throwing a lot of perfectly good food in the trash.
Such waste doesn't come cheap. The average American throws away $728 worth of food per year, which adds up to nearly $3,000 for a family of four, according to a US Environmental Protection Agency report.
Food prices jumped more than 23% between 2020 and 2024, per the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, which is 2% higher than the overall inflation rate during that time. So, it's no wonder we're hoping to maximize every dollar we spend at the supermarket. As it turns out, chefs are masters at the craft.
'Food waste can make or break a kitchen's financial month or year; our margins are always extremely thin and fragile. Many restaurants strive to waste 4% or less of their food cost. Here, we aim for 1% to 2%,' said Tim Mangun, executive chef of Majordomo in Los Angeles. Compare that amount with those of typical home cooks, who waste about 21% of the food they buy.
Reducing waste isn't just about saving money — although that's why many individuals and restaurants initially focus on it, said George Formaro, chef partner of Orchestrate Hospitality restaurants in Des Moines, Iowa. Every single thing that ends up in the trash takes time and labor to produce. Plus, the waste will directly affect Mother Nature. Food waste accounts for more than 20% of municipal solid waste, USDA data suggests.
'Uneaten food has enormous environmental, social, and financial impacts,' said Lindsay-Jean Hard, author of 'Cooking With Scraps' and writer for Zingerman's deli, bakery and mail-order food company in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
'All of the resources used to grow, raise, transport, and refrigerate that food are wasted right along with it,' Hard added. 'Then, when all of that wasted food ends up in landfills, it lacks the conditions to break down properly and, as a result, releases methane, one of the worst greenhouse gases.'
With the economy in flux and grocery prices continuing to climb, CNN asked chefs from coast to coast to share their most creative ways to decrease food waste and save money and the environment all at once.
Many of us shop with aspirations — I will eat five fruits and veggies daily! — rather than realistic intentions, said George Duran, a celebrity chef in New York City. When it comes time to put all those carrots and kale to good use, 'life often gets too busy before you discover that everything has wilted,' Duran said.
Chefs almost always write their menus before shopping for ingredients, and it's wise to follow suit. Jot down a rough meal plan, then make a list for ingredients, Hard recommended. Not only does a list reduce the risk for impulse purchases, but it also gives you more direction when shopping. Doing so will likely save you time.
'You can still roam around the farmers market and buy whatever catches your eye,' Hard said. 'Just take the extra step of figuring out how you're going to use what you got, and then fill in any gaps.'
Ideally, this meal plan will include recipes that flex fresh ingredients in more than one way, so you don't have stragglers hanging around at the end of the week.
Many home cooks and professional chefs neglect to plan to cross-utilize ingredients, said Ken Bell, head chef and co-owner of Over Yonder restaurant in Boone, North Carolina.
'Buying versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple different ways for several meals is a must to minimize food waste at home,' Bell noted. 'Had mashed potatoes for dinner, but made too much? Add extra milk, cream, or stock (and any other veggies you like) and blend it into a tasty potato soup, for example.' Or plan to use fresh kale in a soup one night, and in a blender pasta sauce later in the week.
Most professional kitchens have a process for inventory to keep tabs on what's in stock and what needs to be refreshed. Mangun has implemented a similar strategy at home: 'My wife and I write what we are low on, or run out of, on a white board, and generate our grocery list using this as a guide.'
Before you step foot into a grocery store or head to the farmers market, 'inventory what you have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer,' Mangun said. When you add new items to your refrigerator roster, remember the restaurant trick FIFO, which means 'first in, first out.' In other words, use the rest of last week's strawberries before diving into this week's pint.
Duran, a father of two, freezes much more than the average cook.
'My freezer is my food waste superhero,' he said. 'I freeze leftover herbs in olive oil. I even freeze onions and peppers and carrots, all chopped up in a resealable plastic bag for an instant mirepoix,' to start soups, sauces and more.
You can also freeze most leftovers for three to four months if you happen to make too much.
'Just remember to take the time to label what you put in so you aren't second-guessing yourself a month from now,' Hard said.
One thing many savvy chefs keep in the freezer: odds and ends that are destined for stock. Save onion skins, carrot peels, celery ends, excess herbs as well as bones from chicken, beef, pork or fish to make homemade stock. Even shrimp shells make stellar stocks.
'Homemade stock is always so much better than what you buy at the store, and the finished product also freezes well, so you can keep it for a long time and use it as needed,' Bell said.
You can coax out serious flavor and stretch your ingredients much further by simmering them in water for 30 minutes (vegetable stock) to eight hours (beef or pork stock) before straining, Formaro chimed in.
Another way to save surplus produce is to get in a pickle: 'Quick pickling is super easy,' Bell said. 'All you need is your favorite vinegar, sugar, salt, and water. You can pickle just about any kind of vegetable,' and the briny produce can hang out in the fridge for at least four weeks.
Choose your own flavor adventure with America's Test Kitchen's method: Boil 1 ½ cups vinegar, 1 ½ cups water, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt and your favorite seasonings in a saucepan, then take this off the heat and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Pack 1 pound of evenly sliced, sturdy fruits or vegetables into jars, boil the brine once more, then ladle the vinegar mixture into the jars. Allow the jars to cool, add lids, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Duran and his wife like to play what they call 'leftover roulette,' which is essentially a remix of the Food Network show 'Chopped.'
'We pull random ingredients from the refrigerator and figure out ways to put them all together for a meal,' Duran said.
You can also use artificial intelligence or recipe websites such as SuperCook or SideChef to plug in the ingredients you have and gather recipe recommendations to put those items to good use.
Both Hard and the EPA agree that composting is better than tossing food in the trash, 'but it's not a magical fix or the best solution for excess food,' Hard said. 'Before relegating something to the compost bin, think about how you might be able to use it instead. Question some of your habits. Could you save something for stock? Do those carrots really need to be peeled, or could you just rinse and scrub them?'
If you do end up composting or even throwing away food, take note, said Aidan O'Neal, chef partner at Le Crocodile and Bar Blondeau inside the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York.
'Take an audit. What are you throwing away — and throwing away regularly? Brainstorm ways to adjust your shopping accordingly,' O'Neal said.
Duran doesn't aim for perfection, just progress. If you implement even one of these nine tips, you'll probably trim down on how much you toss out.
'Reducing food waste doesn't mean you have to overhaul your entire life. Start with one habit at a time. Try to get your kids involved. They will understand pretty quickly why you're doing it: for their future,' Duran said. 'Best of all, you'll save money, eat better, and feel like a kitchen superhero. Who doesn't want that?'
Karla Walsh is a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance lifestyle writer with more than 16 years of editorial experience.
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