We have all reached for some chips and found that they are tragically stale. In an effort to reduce waste, one Instagrammer showed followers a great hack for reviving tortilla chips.
The scoop
Kathryn Kellogg (@going.zero.waste) is an expert on reducing waste, sharing tips and hacks on her account for living a more eco-friendly life, including wasting fewer greens and cleaning old bottles.
In a clip shared on Instagram, Kathryn shows viewers how to revive stale tortilla chips. In the video, she says, "Don't throw them out, or feed them all to your dog."
Simply spread your chips out on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes. "No food waste here," she says to close the clip.
How it's helping
Tips like this are a great way to stretch your budget. Making food last as long as possible by bringing it back to life can save you money and time. If you are focusing on chips, one way to keep them fresh longer is using silica gel packets; tossing one in the open bag can help absorb the moisture that causes them to become stale.
The average family wastes around $1,200 a year throwing away food, but our guide has several tips for cutting back this number. One simple hack is freezing stuff that might go bad soon — frozen greens can be used in sauces and smoothies.
Cutting back on food waste also helps the planet. Food waste is a huge issue in the United States, with food comprising more than 20% of municipal waste, according to the EPA. Organic matter in landfills contributes to more extreme weather due to the release of methane gas, which is even more potent than carbon.
MIT explained that part of the reason methane is such a big contributor to the warming of the planet is that "Methane … traps around 120 times as much heat as CO2 does moment to moment."
Saving money while helping the planet is one reason to extend the life of your chips, but if you're in a less altruistic mood, having more snacks is also a great reason to pop them in the oven.
Plus, to aid your food-saving endeavors, organizations like Too Good To Go, FlashFood, and Misfits Market offer innovative solutions for reducing waste while you enjoy delicious, sustainable meals.
What everyone's saying
Folks in the comments seem to love using hacks to revive their chips. One person suggested, "Also, just nuke them for like 20 seconds. Crispy AF!"
Another thankful person wrote, "Such a good idea! It's like a "duh" moment. Can't believe I hadn't thought of this before!"
"I wonder if you can do the same thing with stale crackers???" mused another commenter.
We're here to tell you that you absolutely can.
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