No Waste, More Taste-Budget Worthy Food Storage Tips For The Kitchen

Tired of buying food and eventually tossing it out due to poor storage solutions? Then you need this post! We’re talking about building your pantry, storing leftovers, and carrying food with you.

Good storage helps stretch your food budget as far as it will go. It’s also essential to reduce the amount of food you throw out. The USDA estimates that between 30 and 40% of the food supply in the USA is wasted. That’s a colossal amount of food waste, much of which can be avoided with proper food storage.

Different Food Storage Solutions

There are so many places a family needs food storage, such as portable on-the-go, long-term storage solutions, freezer storage, storage for leftovers, and more. So, let’s get into it!

Glass Jars-New and Old

Glass jars are a versatile and budget-friendly option for food storage. They can be used to store a variety of dry goods, such as small amounts of grains, nuts, and seeds.
They also keep liquids like soups, stews, and smoothies.
These jars are made of glass, a non-porous and safe material for food storage. They are also easy to clean and can be reused repeatedly.
They’re often free! Buying jam, pasta sauces, and more in jars means you can reuse the jars as storage containers.
Find used jam jars at the thrift store! But don’t write off buying all kinds of glass jars for food storage at the thrift store.

Reusable Food Storage Bags

Reusable food storage bags are a great alternative to disposable plastic bags. They can be used to store various items, including sandwiches, snacks while hiking, and leftover foods.
Reusable food storage bags are typically made of durable materials like silicone or cloth and can be washed and reused repeatedly.
They cost between $1 and $2 per bag, depending on the size of the bag.
Food storage bags also work for times when you’re camping!

Recycle Plastic Containers and Bags

Reuse sour cream, margarine, and cream cheese containers to store your leftovers. When they’re empty, wash them and use them to pack up soups, stews, meatloaf, or whatever you’ve had for lunch or dinner. They’re also great for storing dry goods like chocolate.
Write the name of the contents and the date on the top so you can quickly and easily identify what’s in them.
You don’t get much more budget-friendly than reusing these plastic containers.

Long-Term Bulk Commodity Storage

As you build your pantry you may decide to invest in bulk amounts of rice, beans, flour, and more. Storing these items can be done with 5-gallon buckets with Gamma ids that screw on tightly.

The tight-fitting lid will keep pests, air, or water out of your supplies. Put your bulk items in the bucket and then decant some of them to Mason Jars or other smaller storage containers.

Don’t know how to store foods and how long to store foods read up on the USDA guidelines for the best and most up to date recommendations.

BONUS!!

And here’s one area to do with your food budget, restaurant leftovers!

Take-Out Containers

Many restaurants have switched to packaging take-out in reusable plastic containers. They are often rectangular in size with black bottoms and clear tops. They are perfect for packing up leftovers!
These containers stack nicely inside the fridge and the cupboard.
They are recyclable; pop them into the recycling bin when you’re done with them.
Food containers are one of the four largest plastic pollutants in the oceans. Reusing and recycling them when you’re done keeps them out of landfills and the oceans.

Label It

There’s nothing worse than opening your fridge to see a sea of food storage containers filled with mystery ingredients. You can use tape and a pen to label the top of your food storage containers to identify what’s inside, and by adding a date, you’ll know when the leftovers were added to the fridge.

Labels are especially helpful when freezing leftovers because once frozen, it becomes hard to tell what’s inside the container.

Proper food storage can help you stretch your food dollars farther than you ever thought possible. So as you build out that pantry that will help meet your food storage goals consider all the options for food storage. Not just pretty containers that look nice but don’t store your food well.