Tips for avoiding food waste are numerous and often easy to implement. By using techniques like freezing, lacto-fermentation, or dehydration, you help both your wallet and the environment. In this article, we will explore anti-waste practices in detail. You will discover how each method works, how to implement it, and especially why it is particularly suited to a vegetarian or vegan diet. By reducing the amount of food thrown away, you make a concrete gesture for the planet while ensuring a more sustainable and varied diet.

Why Adopt Anti-Waste Practices?

Before diving into the subject, it’s important to understand why food waste is a major issue, especially in a primarily plant-based diet. Here are some figures and reasons that highlight the impact of our consumption habits:

• Food waste accounts for about one-third of global food production.
• Throwing away food not only means losing food but also wasting the natural resources used to produce it (water, energy, agricultural land…).
• In a vegetarian diet, the variety of fresh produce is often significant. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes are frequently purchased in quantity. Without proper preservation techniques, these foods risk spoiling quickly.
• Adopting preservation techniques can promote better planning and stock rotation in your kitchen.

Taking the time to freeze, lacto-ferment, or dehydrate your food not only extends its shelf life but also preserves its nutrients and flavors. These are three complementary and easy-to-do methods for most at home.

Freezing Food to Reduce Waste

Freezing is one of the simplest methods to preserve food for long periods. From a vegetarian perspective, it allows you to store fruits, vegetables, herbs, and prepared dishes without compromising their nutritional value.

Advantages of Freezing

1. Nutrient Preservation: Freezing relatively well preserves vitamins and minerals. Of course, a slight texture adjustment is possible during thawing, but the nutritional quality remains high.
2. Time and Money Saving: You can take advantage of promotions or seasonal vegetables to stock up. This way, you avoid buying out of season at higher prices.
3. Waste Prevention: If you notice some fruits or vegetables starting to wilt, you can freeze them before they become unfit for consumption.
4. Time Saving in the Kitchen: Freezing dishes you have cooked allows you to always have a meal ready for days when you lack time.

How to Freeze Effectively?

• Choice of Containers: Opt for airtight boxes or bags specially designed for freezing. Ensure they are well-sealed to prevent odor transfer and drying out.
• Blanching Some Foods: Before freezing certain vegetables (carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc.), it is advisable to blanch them by plunging them into boiling water for one to two minutes, then immediately cooling them in ice water. This helps preserve the color and flavor of the vegetables while stopping certain enzymes responsible for deterioration.
• Portioning: Divide your vegetables, fruits, or preparations into small portions. This makes thawing faster and you won’t risk thawing more than necessary.
• Labeling: Note the date and contents of the bag or box. This way, you avoid wondering what that frosted bag at the bottom of the freezer contains and you know how long the food has been there.

Vegetarian Foods That Freeze Well

• Vegetables: All firm-fleshed vegetables (broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, blanched zucchini, etc.).
• Fruits: Stone fruits (peaches, apricots), berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), bananas (peeled and sliced).
• Herbs: Parsley, basil, coriander, chives, mint. You can freeze them chopped in ice cube trays filled with a little water or olive oil.
• Prepared Dishes: Soups, ratatouilles, vegetable curries, tomato sauces, etc.

Lacto-Fermentation: An Ancient Technique to Rediscover

Lacto-fermentation is an ancient preservation method that involves allowing lactic bacteria to develop in an oxygen-free environment, transforming the sugars in foods into lactic acid. This natural acidification prevents the proliferation of harmful microorganisms. Lacto-fermented foods are often rich in probiotics, beneficial for gut flora.

Why is Lacto-Fermentation Interesting?

1. Nutrient Preservation: Not only are vitamins and minerals preserved, but this method also increases the bioavailability of certain nutrients and generates new beneficial compounds for health.
2. Better Digestibility: Lactic bacteria somewhat pre-digest certain fibers and complex sugars. For people who have difficulty digesting certain raw vegetables, lacto-fermentation can be a solution.
3. Long Shelf Life: Lacto-fermented foods can be stored for months or even years at room temperature, as long as the jar remains airtight.
4. Unique Flavor: Fermented vegetables offer a tangy and often spicy taste. They can be added to salads, sandwiches, grain bowls, or even consumed as a side dish.

How to Practice Lacto-Fermentation?

Here is a basic guide to successfully making your first preparations:

1. Choose Your Vegetables: The most common vegetables for lacto-fermentation are cabbage (for sauerkraut), carrots, turnips, beets, pickles, and radishes. You can be creative by mixing several vegetables.
2. Prepare and Cut: Wash and peel if necessary. Cut into slices, sticks, or grate.
3. Salting: Mix the vegetables with unrefined salt (about 10 to 15 g of salt per 1 kg of vegetables). Salt promotes the release of water contained in the vegetables and ensures an environment conducive to lacto-fermentation. You can lightly knead the vegetables to extract their juice.
4. Pack into a Jar: Place the vegetables in a sterilized glass jar. Pack well to bring the brine to the surface. The vegetables must be submerged for fermentation to occur in an anaerobic environment. Leave some space at the top of the jar for gas expansion.
5. Close and Let Ferment: Close the jar (not necessarily hermetically if it does not have a specific seal). Place it at room temperature (around 20°C) away from light for several days to several weeks, depending on the desired flavor. The longer the fermentation, the more acidic and spicy the foods will be.
6. Taste and Store: Taste regularly. When the flavor suits you, place the jar in the refrigerator. Fermentation will slow down, and your vegetables will keep for several months.

Tips for Successful Lacto-Fermented Vegetables

• Control Salinity: Too much salt can slow or block fermentation. Not enough salt can promote the growth of undesirable bacteria.
• Protect from Air: The vegetables must remain submerged. If a white film (kahm yeast) forms on the surface, you can remove it. As long as the smell remains normal, it is not dangerous.
• Patience: Lacto-fermentation occurs thanks to the right temperature and time. Don’t be tempted to open your jar too early every hour. Wait at least a few days before tasting.
• Try Different Spices: Add cumin, fennel seeds, ginger, or garlic to create flavorful fermented vegetables.

Dehydrating for Better Preservation

Food dehydration is a process that involves removing water from foods to slow the proliferation of microorganisms. This technique is particularly useful for long-term preservation of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, or herbs. It can be done with an electric dehydrator, a traditional oven at low temperature, or even in the sun under certain conditions (dry climate, high temperature, and good protection against dust and insects).

Why Dehydrate Your Food?

1. Long Shelf Life: Dehydrated foods can be stored in airtight jars for several months or even years without the risk of mold.
2. Retention of Most Nutrients: Although some heat-sensitive vitamins (vitamin C) may decrease, the majority of minerals and fibers are preserved.
3. Space Saving: Dried fruits, vegetables, or herbs take up much less volume. It’s an easy way to store large quantities of products without cluttering your cupboards.
4. Concentrated Flavor: Flavors are often more pronounced. Dried tomatoes, for example, have a sweeter and more intense taste than fresh tomatoes.

Key Steps in Dehydration

1. Choose and Prepare the Foods: Opt for fresh foods, washed and free of damaged parts. Slice them uniformly for even dehydration.
2. Blanch or Not: Some vegetables (carrots, green beans, cabbages) can be blanched to preserve their color and taste. This remains optional but recommended in many cases.
3. Arrange on the Support: Place the slices on the trays of your dehydrator or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Avoid overlapping the slices, as air must circulate well.
4. Temperature and Duration: Each food has its ideal temperature range. Generally, 50 to 60°C for fruits, 60 to 65°C for vegetables. Drying time can range from 6 to 24 hours. Regularly check the texture.
5. Control Residual Moisture: Your foods are ready when they are dry but still slightly flexible in the case of fruits (like prunes or apricots) or completely brittle for others (tomatoes, vegetable chips).
6. Store Properly: Store your dehydrated foods in airtight jars, away from light, moisture, and heat.

Ideas for Vegetarian Foods to Dehydrate

• Fruits: Apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, strawberries, apricots.
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, carrots (grated or sliced), onions.
• Herbs and Spices: Thyme, rosemary, parsley, coriander, basil, oregano. You can then grind them into powder for easier use.
• Toppings: Dried tomatoes are delicious in salads, sauces, sandwiches, or blended to create homemade pesto.

Managing Stocks and Smart Cooking

Beyond implementing these preservation techniques, good kitchen organization can significantly reduce waste. Here are some tips for optimal stock management:

• Plan Your Meals: Make a shopping list based on planned recipes without overestimating quantities.
• Take Inventory: Before buying new ingredients, note what you already have. This will prevent you from storing duplicate products and leaving some foods to spoil at the back of the refrigerator.
• Sort Foods by Dates: Place older products in front to consume them first and store new ones behind.
• Use Leftovers Creatively: Turn excess rice into balls, surplus vegetables into soup, or overripe fruits into smoothies.
• Favor Seasonal Products: They are cheaper, tastier, and better suited to local production. You can buy them in quantity and freeze, lacto-ferment, or dehydrate them to enjoy later.

Practical Tips to Further Reduce Waste

1. Reuse Cooking Water: Mineral-rich water can be used to water your plants or prepare a broth for a future soup.
2. Compost: Even with proper cooking, you will probably have some peels and eggshells if you consume them. Turn these wastes into natural fertilizer for your garden or indoor plants.
3. Learn to Love “Ugly” Fruits and Vegetables: It is common for misshapen vegetables or blemished fruits to be discarded. Yet, they are often perfectly edible and have the same nutritional value as “perfect” foods.
4. Monitor Expiration Dates: For industrial or packaged products, do not confuse the use-by date (UBD) with the best before date (BBD). The UBD indicates a health risk if you exceed the date, while the BBD (often “best before”) simply signals that the product may lose some of its taste or nutritional quality without being dangerous.
5. Batch Cooking: Cooking in large quantities and then freezing or preserving in jars allows you to prepare your meals in advance while reducing the risk of forgetting fresh ingredients in the fridge.

Ecological and Economic Impact

Adopting these anti-waste practices (freezing, lacto-fermenting, dehydrating) brings benefits on several levels:

• Ecological: Less waste means less pollution and pressure on natural resources. Preservation techniques reduce the need for repeated transportation (when frequently buying small volumes) and reduce the energy consumption associated with the production of new foods.
• Economic: Stocking up during periods of abundance or promotions avoids unnecessary expenses. Moreover, you limit emergency purchases when prices are higher.
• Nutritional: Vegetarians and vegans are often more attentive to the quality of the products they consume and their nutrient intake. Smartly preserving your off-season vegetables and fruits ensures you have products rich in vitamins and minerals all year round.

Simple Recipes to Highlight Your Preserved Foods

To conclude, here are some recipe ideas where you can incorporate your frozen, lacto-fermented, or dehydrated foods:

• Lacto-Fermented Vegetable Stew: After sautéing some onions, add your lacto-fermented carrots, cabbages, or turnips. Cover with broth, simmer, and serve with legumes like lentils or chickpeas.
• Frozen Fruit Smoothie: Blend bananas, berries, your choice of plant milk (almond, oat, soy), and a tablespoon of almond butter. You will get a refreshing and nourishing smoothie.
• Frozen Vegetable Soup: Sauté an onion and garlic, add your frozen vegetables (leeks, carrots, spinach), a vegetable broth, and let simmer. Blend to the desired consistency.
• Salad with Dried Vegetables: Rehydrate dried tomatoes in a little oil or water, cut them into small strips, and add them to a salad of lamb’s lettuce, spinach shoots, nuts, and smoked tofu. This touch of dried tomato adds an intensely appreciated flavor.
• Pesto from Frozen Fresh Herbs: If you had frozen a surplus of basil or parsley, thaw them gently and then prepare a pesto (with or without cheese, according to your preferences). This way, you avoid wasting your herbs and enjoy a homemade sauce.

Conclusion

Reducing food waste is not a constraint; it’s an opportunity to be more creative in the kitchen and save money. Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or simply mindful of consuming more responsibly, freezing, lacto-fermentation, and dehydration techniques allow you to preserve most of the foods you love. They also help you make the most of seasonal products and keep a varied reserve at hand.

Moreover, these anti-waste practices have a very positive environmental impact. You contribute to the preservation of natural resources and limit pollution related to waste management. Additionally, by optimizing your stock, you cook more efficiently and avoid impulsive purchases, which favorably impacts your budget.

All that’s left is to get started: don’t hesitate to experiment, combine different techniques, and enjoy rediscovering foods in new forms. Food waste is not inevitable, and every little gesture counts to preserve our planet and resources. Take the time to prepare your food, freeze it, lacto-ferment it, or dehydrate it, and you will see how rewarding it is to cook with a zero-waste mindset. Your kitchen will become more inventive, healthier, and more environmentally friendly. Enjoy your meal and happy preserving.