PENNSYLVANIA, USA — With food prices higher than usual and shortages happening across all sectors, one way to stretch your dollar is to learn how to work with leftovers.
Martin Bucknavage with Penn State's Food Safety Extension joined FOX43 on Feb. 2 to discuss making food last.
"In a time of shortage, the worst thing is having to throw something out," he said.
One of his main tips is planning; specifically, knowing how and when you plan to use the food that you're putting into your cart. He also says to avoid buying too much food at once.
Also, it's important to plan a weekly menu before heading to the store.
Freezing big batches of food is also a great tip, Bucknavage says. This way, things won't go bad in your fridge waiting to be eaten. You can even freeze fruits and vegetables. Also, be sure to label what everything is before putting it in the freezer, and even include the date you put it in there to be safe.
Planning which days you will eat leftovers also helps; sticking to a schedule helps to make sure your money isn't going to waste, Bucknavage says. One day a week can even be a day where you just eat leftovers, like a buffet.
Finally, be sure to take stock of what exactly is in your fridge and freezer. Often, many of us don't know exactly what we have, which can cause us to "overbuy" and things go bad in return.
"Keeping and managing your inventory...is really important," he said.
To hear more of what he had to say, check out the clip above.