With everyone doing a lot more cooking lately, I figured I would share some of my favorite ways to use up food! Food waste is a huge problem in America, but also around the world. As for me, I always love having fresh veggies and fruit in my apartment, but for one person, things can go bad pretty fast if I’m not eating a lot. I love finding new ways to give food a second life! Here are four of my favorite recipes and tips for preventing food waste.

1. Have some stale bread? Make homemade croutons!

I made these with some old grainy whole wheat bread, and I’ve been snacking on them like crackers ever since! You can use them for salads, eat them as a snack, or even crumble them on top of greens or cooked beans for extra texture and crunch. If you want breadcrumbs, just crush the croutons when you take them out of the oven.

It’s not super specific, but here’s what I did:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I took about a half loaf of bread and cut it into 1x1 inch pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl and coat them with extra virgin olive oil. I used about 4 tablespoons of olive oil for a half loaf, but it’s all based on your preference! Then add salt, pepper, and any spices of your choice. Garlic powder, basil, and oregano are good places to start!

Use your hands to mix the bread pieces without breaking them until they are evenly coated. Place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until all moisture is gone and the pieces have turned golden brown. Take out of the oven to cool. These last for about two weeks in an airtight jar, but I guarantee you'll eat them all sooner. :)

2. Pickle all the things. Pickled cabbage, pickled onions, pickled…

I love pickled things!!! Anything briny, salty, or fermented––yes, please gimme all the things. If you have any veg about to go bad (especially things like onions, cabbage, or cucumber), quick pickling can be SO easy and doesn’t require any fancy canning equipment. All you really need is distilled white vinegar, salt, sugar, and any spices you prefer.

One of my favorite things is pickled red onions. I use a lime-pickled onion recipe from Mama Eats Plants. I loosely followed her recipe and used it for my red cabbage the other day as well! Quick pickling is a great way to use up lots of summertime vegetables. There’s really no limit to what you can pickle, so feel free to get creative.

3. Never waste a banana.

Is there anything a banana doesn’t work for? I truly believe it’s some sort of miracle fruit. While everyone knows you can make banana bread with bananas that are about to go bad, my favorite way of saving them is freezing them for smoothies.

But what about the peel? I found a tip on Instagram from @eco.mindset about soaking your banana peels in water to make natural fertilizer for your plants. Bananas are high in phosphorus, potassium, and calcium which plants love!

What are your favorite ways to prevent food waste? Let me know in the comments below or over on Insta!