Illustration: Hunter Christie
Imagine spending $150 on groceries, and then lobbing that food directly into the garbage. Now imagine doing that seven times a year. Outrageous, right" But that?s how much food Canadian households waste every year, says food-waste expert Martin Gooch. In Toronto, for example, single-family households discard about 275 kilos of food waste each year. That means one in four food purchases ends up in the garbage.
When we discard food, we?re not only throwing away money, but we?re also filling up landfills, squandering water and producing harmful methane gas. And that?s not to mention wasting what amounts to as much as 1,500 calories per day, enough to fill hunger gaps in the developing world or your own city. Here?s how to cut back on what you toss. 1. Track it

Keep an eye on what you toss most often?then buy smaller amounts of the items that routinely become garbage.
2. Strategize with freshness

Eat foods based on how quickly they spoil. Enjoy berries, peaches and leafy greens first, and store hardier apples, carrots and potatoes until the end of the week. Cook raw meat and fish within three days, or keep it in the freezer.
3. Serve kids smaller portions

After-dinner food scraps are a huge source of waste?especially when kids decide they no longer eat that (once beloved!) food. Serve less, and offer seconds if they?re still hungry.
4. Make a list

Before you head to the store, take a minute to see what you already have in your fridge and p...