Eat Smart, Waste Less Challenge

Clean and prep some of your perishable foods soon after shopping. 

Prep right from the store
Wash, chop, peel, cook or portion ingredients for your weekly meals and snacks after you get home from the store or on the weekend. Store prepped food in clear containers, and place near the front of the refrigerator. Label food with when you prepped it and when you should use it up by. Ask for prep labels when you take the challenge or use masking tape. 

Let it ripen
Put fruits that need to ripen such as peaches, plums, avocados and tomatoes in a bowl on the counter until ripe. Once ripe, move produce to the refrigerator along with apples, oranges and other already ripe fruit. Be careful when storing apples, pears and bananas with other fruit — they will cause the other fruit to ripen faster.

Prep for the freezer
Freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit, cut-up vegetables and meat in meal-size portions if you don't plan to eat it within a few days. Use a clear container with a good seal or several clear, plastic bags to avoid freezer burn. When you cook a meal that freezes well, make more of it and freeze it in meal-size portions. 

Be sure to write the name of the item and date on the freezer bag or container.