Skip to content

How to Reduce Food Waste During Thanksgiving

November 8, 2022


It’s estimated that Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and food. Thanksgiving is no exception. In fact, Thanksgiving is all about the food. From the turkey to the stuffing, to the pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving is a feast. And with all that food comes a lot of food waste.

According to the EPA, Americans throw away 25% more trash during the holidays than any other time of year. A lot of that trash is food. In fact, Americans throw away $165 million worth of turkey every Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of turkey!

So, how can you reduce food waste this Thanksgiving? Here are a few tips:

Plan ahead: Before you start cooking, take inventory of what you have and make a list of what you need. This will help you avoid buying things you don’t need and wasting food.

Cook only what you need: When you’re cooking for a large group, it’s easy to make too much food. But, cooking only what you need will help reduce food waste.

Use leftovers: One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. But, if you have too many leftovers, they can go to waste. To avoid this, plan ahead and only make enough food for what you know you’ll eat.

Give food to others: If you have too much food and you know you can’t eat it all, consider giving it to someone who can. There are many food pantries and shelters that would be happy to take your extra food.

These are just a few tips to help reduce food waste this Thanksgiving. By following these tips, you can help make a difference and save money.

Common Questions Roundup:

1. What are some tips to reduce food waste during Thanksgiving?
2. How much additional trash do Americans generate during the holidays?
3. How much money do Americans waste on uneaten turkey every Thanksgiving?
4. What is one reason it is easy to make too much food when cooking for a large group?
5. How can you use leftovers to avoid wasting food?
6. What should you do with extra food if you cannot eat it all?
7. What is the best thing about Thanksgiving leftovers?
8. What is one way to make a difference and save money by reducing food waste?
9. What are some other things Americans throw away during the holidays?
10. How can reducing food waste help the environment?

Answers to common questions:

1. Some tips to reduce food waste during Thanksgiving include: making a list of what you need before you go grocery shopping, only cooking what you know you will eat, and using leftovers in creative ways.
2. Americans generate an additional 1 million tons of trash during the holidays.
3. Americans waste $286 million on uneaten turkey every Thanksgiving.
4. It is easy to make too much food when cooking for a large group because people tend to overestimate how much they will eat.
5. You can use leftovers to avoid wasting food by eating them for lunch or dinner the next day, or freezing them for later.
6. If you cannot eat all the extra food, you can donate it to a local food bank or shelter.
7. The best thing about Thanksgiving leftovers is that they can last for several days and provide multiple meals.
8. One way to make a difference and save money by reducing food waste is to compost your food scraps.
9. Some other things Americans throw away during the holidays include wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows.
10. Reducing food waste can help the environment by reducing the amount of methane gas produced in landfills.

Tl;dr

Tips to reduce food waste during Thanksgiving: plan ahead, cook only what you need, use leftovers, give food to others.