Most of us are guilty of wasting food. We let milk go bad in the refrigerator, and leave salads for days till they get soggy. Whether you’re conscious of preventing food waste, or just trying to save some money – here is a helpful list of food scraps and leftovers that you can reuse!
10 Healthy Food Scraps You Should Be Holding On To
1. Citrus Peels
Peels from lemon, oranges, grapefruits, and limes can be used to scrub your dirty kitchenware to bring them to a sparkling shine. You can also coat them with some egg white and roll them in sugar for instant homemade old fashion citrus candy.
2. Coffee Grounds
Every house has at least one person who loves coffee, and where there is coffee, there will always be coffee grounds. Not only do they make for a great addition to your compost bin, but can also be used to make do-it-yourself coffee scrubs for super soft skin. If you’re into gardening, you can also use these leftover grounds to improve the quality of your soil.
3. Broccoli Stems
You’ve been tricked into thinking that broccoli stems are meant to be tossed. Cook them with a little garlic and olive oil and sprinkle over some salt and pepper. Trim the ends of each stalk and pass them around the table for a healthy addition to your family’s diet!
4. Egg Shells
From keeping lizards away and cleaning your drains, to being a great natural fertilizer option for your garden – egg shells come in handy for a wide range of life hacks. You can even grind up half an egg shell and mix it in your dog’s food for a good source of natural calcium. Also, did you know that adding an egg shell to your coffee filter will give you smoother tasting brew?
5. Onion Skins
Frustrated with yourself for being so susceptible to hay fever? Those leftover onion skins are just the thing you need. Onion skins reduce histamine production and release in your body, which could help alleviate the pain of itchy and swollen eyes that are a hallmark of hay fever. Being rich in quercetin, onion skins can also help bring down your blood pressure and prevent the clogging of arteries.
Simply add a handful of onion skins while preparing soups, stocks, broths, and stews, but remember to remove just before serving.
6. Stale Bread And Chips
You will always have a few leftover chips and crumbs in your bag. Often, you may even find your bread has gone stale. And what about those bread crusts that your children probably discard while eating their sandwiches?
The next time, toss these into the food processor instead of the dustbin. Give this a good pulse. Depending on whether the overall taste is sweet or savory, you can use this mixture for your pie crusts, or just use them like ordinary bread crumbs!
7. Fish Bones
Fish is rich in nutrients and healthy fatty acids that living things love to thrive on. Therefore, fresh fish scraps make for a fantastic compost bin addition. You can even use these for healthier garden soil quality.
8. Cheese Rinds
If you’re tossing out your cheese rinds, you’re losing out on some very good food. Italians who love to cook swear by cheese rinds. They’re the secret ingredient for rich flavored dishes and is probably just what your pasta sauce, stocks, and soups need! Adding cheese rinds to your base also means you don’t have to use extra cheese for garnish, so you can actually save more cheese!
9. Fruit And Vegetable Pulp
If you’re a fan of smoothies and juices, you probably have a whole lot of leftover pulp. By tossing this in the bin, you’re basically discarding most of the fiber contained in that particular fruit or vegetable. This is definitely a waste of good nutrition when you can very well use it when baking for added moisture and texture, or for an extra kick of nutrition to your burgers.
10. Bacon Fat
Never throw away bacon fat because there is no end to the things you can do with that warm, salty, sweet-and-smoky flavor that we all love so much.
While bacon fat is not very healthy since it’s saturated fat – you can use it in small quantities as a substitute for butter. You don’t have to use all of it in one go – because bacon fat can go for up to six months without getting spoilt, provided you refrigerate it. This can come in handy, especially if you’re not a huge fan of vegetables but have to eat them anyway because they’re healthy. The next time you saute your vegetables, use some of this fat instead of your regular cooking oil. It will lend your veggies that delicious bacon flavor and help alleviate some of that vegetable-like taste that is keeping you from enjoying your meals.