A recent study finds a quarter of the food in American households is wasted each year.
And, the survey indicates Louisiana households waste $854 worth of food annually, often because it's gone past the "Sell By" or "Use By" label.
That's according to research done by Klein Kitchen, a remodel and design firm that questioned 3,200 Americans. It found that Louisianians are throwing away more than a fifth of their food each month.
But, Wenqing Xu, Consumer Food Safety Specialist with the LSU Ag Center, says those dates should not be considered 'expiration dates.'
"Those labels, the 'Best if Used By' or 'Sell By' or 'Use By' labels are indicating the food quality...when the food can be consumed at its peak quality.
"Those dates just indicate when the food product will be at its best flavor or quality. It does not mean that, after that, it's going to kill you or become unsafe."
She says the foods are usually safe and edible well past those dates...much longer if you freeze them.
"There are a lot of foods that have a "Freeze By" date on it, basically saying that the product should be frozen by that date to maintain the peak quality. It is also not a "Purchase By" or safe date," says Xu.
She says freezing by the 'Sell By' or 'Use By' dates will ensure the foods stay at peak quality. And perishable foods should be the first you freeze, because it's so easy for them to be time and temperature abused."
"To preserve food at home, freezing is the most economic and easiest method. But, you have to use the freezer bags or freezer containers. You can't just use any zip-lock bag and expect to keep the quality of the food."
Her top tip, though, to keep from wasting food? "If you really want to reduce food waste, the best way is to plan ahead. Do not buy an extensive amount of food and expect the refrigerator and the freezer to keep the food safe and keep the quality. So planning ahead is always the key."
Some tips on saving food:
Freeze milk into an ice cube tray! As the survey revealed, most people will throw away dairy products first. Try this tip instead of wasting. Use the frozen milk cubes in coffee or tea!
Put your herbs into a glass of water to prevent them from wilting quickly, they'll last much longer.
If yogurts are getting near their use-by date, you can mix them up with some over-ripe fruit for a smoothie or even freeze into ice-lollies.
Turn stale bread or crusts into breadcrumbs by putting them in a food processor. Fantastic when mixed with herbs or onions as a stuffing for chicken or to top baked fish!
When cooking with foods such as potatoes, broccoli, or carrots, use it all. You don’t need to remove the peel or cut the stems off, as they often have additional nutrients in! And if you don’t like the peel or stem, you can compost what you don’t use.
Donate the items you might be close to throwing out which aren’t yet out of date. There will be plenty of food kitchens nearby that would really appreciate anything you have which is going spare.