17 Kitchen Products for Reducing Food Waste at Home
Updated: Feb. 02, 2023Reducing food waste at home can be as simple as having the right food storage for things like avocado halves and fresh herbs. These niche products preserve the food that often gets left behind!
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Produce Saver Containers
Having fruits and vegetables go bad before you have a chance to eat them is a common problem. So if you’re serious about reducing food waste at home, FreshWorks containers make your produce last longer thanks to a crisping tray in the bottom that keeps moisture away. Plus, this dependable Rubbermaid product has more than 9,000 positive reviews on Amazon! Also, don’t miss these produce mistakes you didn’t know you were making.
Produce Freshness Balls
Some fruits and vegetables (like apples) produce ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. Each Bluapple ball contains a packet that absorbs ethylene gas and extends the life of your produce. Just pop one among your apples and bananas to extend freshness.
Cheese Storage Paper
Ditch the plastic wrap and store your favorite fromages in this reusable packaging. Bee’s Wrap is made of sustainable, eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, bees wax and tree resin. Double it up to store other perishables like baked goods, sandwiches and produce. Find even more reasons why you’ll love Bee’s Wrap!
Potato and Onion Preserving Bags
As you probably know, potatoes should never be stored with onions. With these potato and onion bags, you won’t have to worry about that any longer. The breathable blackout lining and drawstring closure help create the cool, dark and dry environment potatoes and onions love. We also love that these bags can be hung from a hook, or placed on a shelf. And, you can toss these bags right into the washer when they get dirty!
Food Vacuum Sealer
Tired of freezer-burned food? This food vacuum sealer keeps your favorite foods fresh for up to five times longer than your go-to freezer bags, making reducing food waste at home painless. Using this tool couldn’t be any easier—place your food in the bag, attach the bag to the sealer and press the vacuum button! This nifty gadget can seal both wet and dry items. Learn more about vacuum sealers in this guide.
Refrigerator Bins
If you want to take your refrigerator organization to the next level, all you need are a few wire bins. Whether it’s for produce, jars, or your kid’s lunches, these nifty baskets have a way of making everything look prettier. Plus, these simple baskets organize your fridge. When food is in sight, its chances of getting eaten are much higher than food that is smushed in the back.
Onion, Tomato and Garlic Savers
Leftover ingredients often get thrown in wasteful plastic bags, put back in the refrigerator and forgotten. Instead, save your partially used onions, garlic and tomatoes in this food saver set. It includes four reusable containers, each shaped as the food they are meant to store. Plus, learn how to store every type of leftover food.
Freezer Labels
Don’t risk having a freezer full of mystery meals—keep track of what each item in your freezer is and when it was made with these freezer labels. With 500 stickers per roll, this small investment will keep your freezer organized for years and years. The labels take very little time to apply to leftovers and using them helps you quickly use up items in your freezer.
Lettuce Keeper
If you know the frustration of throwing out a bag of lettuce before you even get the chance to eat it, then you need a lettuce keeper. This hard-working container has an adjustable vent for optimal air circulation, and a reservoir at the bottom to catch excess water. You can even wash your lettuce right in the container! Check out some of our other favorite lettuce keepers.
Silicone Food Huggers
These reusable Food Huggers are the perfect solution for half-eaten produce. Simply press the fruit or vegetable into the silicone Food Hugger and watch as it wraps snugly around the edges to keep it fresh. This nifty invention helps us cut back on using plastic wrap, foil and plastic bags.
Bag Clips
Keep your potato chips crispy and your opened bag of carrots crunchy. If you don’t already have a set of bag clips on hand, you absolutely need these. They’ll keep your opened produce and snacks fresh, and the colorful clips are both freezer and dishwasher-safe.
GreenBoxes
More than 7,000 Amazon reviewers agree: the GreenBoxes really do work! They’re made to reduce ethylene gas, making fruits and vegetables last longer in your fridge or on your counter. This set is a smart replacement for regular plastic storage containers.
Bread Box
There’s a reason bread boxes have been around since the 1800s! Keep bread fresh for longer in a bamboo bread box. The moisture from the bread raises the humidity in the box, but the lid isn’t airtight, which means air circulation can keep it from getting too moist. The result is the perfect environment for fresh bread.
Avocado Hugger
Picture this: you’re ready to whip up an avocado toast for breakfast and when you go to pick up your avocado, it isn’t as fresh as it was yesterday. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. This avocado hugger reduces air exposure which keeps your avocados fresh and green as can be. No more brown and mushy avocado halves sitting in your fridge!
Brown Sugar Bear Softener
We all know the frustration of going for a cup of brown sugar only to find that it’s hard and dried out. What cuter way to preserve your brown sugar than this brown bear sugar softener? This specially fired clay bear keeps brown sugar moist for months. Read more about this genius bear.
Herb Saver
Herb savers are one of our favorite ways to store fresh herbs! Save those fresh herbs from the threat of being thrown out with an herb saver. Place herbs into the pod and close the clear cover, then add fresh water to the reservoir. It could extend the life of your herbs for up to three weeks! If you’re not convinced, head over to our herb saver review for the full scoop.
Dry Goods Containers
Neat rows of clear containers not only make your pantry look beautiful and organized, but they also help your dry ingredients last longer and reduce the chances you’ll have to throw out items that have gone bad. We love this OXO Good Grips set because each container has a “pop” lid that guarantees freshness. Simply push the button to engage an airtight seal. The containers in this set are stackable, too, making it easy to organize your pantry space.
