The average US household throws away roughly 30% of the food it buys. That adds up to about $1,500 per year going straight into the trash. Beyond the financial cost, food waste is one of the largest contributors to landfill methane emissions. The good news is that most household food waste is preventable with a few changes to how you shop, store, and cook.

Why Food Gets Wasted

Most food waste at home comes down to four things: overbuying, forgetting what you have, not planning meals, and ignoring expiration dates. You grab an extra bag of spinach because you can't remember if you already have one. You buy ingredients for a recipe you never make. That yogurt in the back of the fridge expires before you notice it. These small moments add up fast.

Practical Strategies That Work

Take Inventory Before You Shop

Before heading to the grocery store, check what you already have. Open the fridge, look in the pantry, check the freezer. This sounds obvious, but most people skip it. Knowing what you have prevents duplicate purchases and helps you plan meals around items that need to be used first.

Use First-In, First-Out

When you put groceries away, move older items to the front and newer items to the back. This simple habit ensures you reach for the items closest to expiring first. It works for everything from milk to canned goods.

Plan Meals Around What Needs to Be Used

Instead of picking recipes and then buying ingredients, flip the process. Look at what you have that's about to expire and find recipes that use those items. This approach means you're cooking with what's already there rather than accumulating more.

Store Food Properly

Proper storage extends the life of your food significantly. Keep herbs in a jar of water in the fridge. Store bananas away from other fruit (they release ethylene gas that speeds ripening). Freeze bread you won't eat within a few days. Wrap cheese in wax paper instead of plastic wrap. Small adjustments like these can add days or weeks to your food's shelf life.

Track What You Throw Away

For one week, keep a simple log of everything you throw away. You'll quickly spot patterns — maybe you always overbuy lettuce, or you consistently let leftovers go bad. Once you see the pattern, you can adjust your buying habits accordingly.

How Technology Can Help

Pantry tracking apps take the mental load off by keeping a running inventory of what you have, alerting you before food expires, and suggesting recipes based on your current stock. Instead of relying on memory, you get a real-time view of your kitchen. The best ones work offline, respect your privacy, and don't try to sell you groceries — they just help you use what you already bought.

PantrySmart does exactly this. Scan a barcode or type in an item, set the expiration date, and the app handles the rest — alerts before food goes bad, recipe matching against your inventory, and grocery lists that know what you're running low on. Available free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.