Is it Possible to do Zero Waste Cooking? It’s Definitely Worth a Try!

While utilizing all parts of a fruit or a vegetable might seem to be impossible but we can definitely try doing by incorporating every part to our diet which makes it more nutritious and generates less or no waste. The purpose of zero-waste cooking starts with reducing the amount of food so that you’re ideally only stocking ingredients that you will actually use, which includes cooking and serving in quantities that will be consumed.

Restaurants can collectively feed hundreds of people and save tons of food wastage every year by tracking how much food they throw away, and then taking measures to address those sources of waste. 

Some of the ways could to prevent food wastage at family functions or at larger social gatherings include:

• Using smaller plates at buffets 
• Offering smaller portions at first.
• Purchasing fresh and smaller quantities of produce more frequently.
• Proper storage of foods that spoil quickly.
• Designing menus in a way to utilize the maximum of your ingredients as possible.

The primary steps for reducing your food waste are planning, designing the menu, getting organized with cooking the best from even fewer ingredients and shopping smart. The next step — zero-waste cooking — means approaching food completely differently, as if the trash bin doesn’t exist. Thinking smartly makes all the difference. 

Can we utilize the peels?

Yes, the answer lies with you. The skin of citrus fruits like oranges or sweet limes are bursting with flavor and aroma, not to mention, natural essential oils can be easily prepared from them! Toss citrus peels into a pot of boiling water, and add them to your bathtub or keep it at the entrance as it also makes your home smell good. You can dry the fruit peels to make powder for facemasks.

Lemon or other fruits zest can be turned into flavor-packed citrus vinegar that can be added to salad dressings, used as vinaigrette, in sauces.

In case you’re a cocktail lover, peels can be crushed and soaked to create infused vodka, gin, or any other spirit. Allow it to sit for a week or two to absorb the flavor and get the best of it.

You can also use peels to add color to your salads, like finely chopped or grated bottle gourd peels or prepare its curry like raw banana peels. Try using the fruit or vegetable whole. For example, avoid peeling apples or carrots but make sure to wash them properly before using them.

What about stems and stalks?

If you often find yourself with unused, wilted herbs, don’t throw them away, soak in water for half and hour and they’ll be back fresh and green. Try to use the stems of herbs as well as parsley, cilantro, mint, and even dried rosemary, instead of just picking the leaves off. They infuse flavor and add a satisfying aroma when used as a garnish, can also be blended into pesto, salsa, and sauces.

The stems of kale or spinach can be saved for future use as these can be sliced and boiled for ten minutes or sautéed, until tender and then, add to pasta, stir-fry, frittatas, and more for a healthy boost of nutrients.

Tough broccoli stems can also be utilized by peeling, slicing and boiling to add to the salads. It is easy to cook, can be added to a blender, or to a salad. When cooking, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices work wonders in making a prime side dish to have in your diet menu.

Pickle it up

You can add raw tops and bottoms of certain veggies to pickle jar and add a dose of spices to have it regularly. Bottoms and tops of carrots, cauliflower stems or radish can be pickled nicely.

Are leaves safe to add in diet?

One of the great examples is of radish leaves, they can easily be turned into a tasty sabzi or can be used to bulk up the salads. Leafy greens are the easiest to be added to the diet by boiling and blending to make soups or juices. Make sure to wash and cook properly.

Over to you

Get creative and make use of parts of ingredients in ways you haven’t before. Instead of throwing them out, saute leaves, boil leftover herbs in hot water for tea, dry out used peels to create spice mixes. With a little extra effort and thought, everything can be used efficiently just as we suggested.