Imagine planning a delicious dinner with a side of spinach. There's nothing more frustrating than pulling leafy greens out of the refrigerator only to find them nearly spoiled.
Virginia grassroots organization Sustainability Matters (@sustainabilitymattersva) recently posted a cooking hack to Instagram, teaching users how to use these foods before they go bad — by pureeing and freezing wilted spinach.
The scoop
According to Sustainability Matters, all you need to do is blend the spinach with a small amount of water until it reaches a smooth consistency. Then, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it.
You can use the spinach cubes in various recipes. For example, why not make a smoothie using frozen spinach, blueberries, a banana, cinnamon, Greek yogurt and almond milk? Spinach is a superb source of iron, potassium, folate, and other essential vitamins.
Of course, you can also add the cubed spinach to rice dishes or other side recipes.
"Don't let that wilted spinach go to waste," the Instagram post's caption said.
How it's helping
Food waste is a serious problem worldwide. After harvesting, the world loses around 13.2% of food, while consumers waste another 17%.
Often, spoiled food ends up in overflowing landfills, rotting and releasing the potent gas methane, which accounts for 50% of landfill pollution in the United States. Since this gas is 28 times stronger than carbon dioxide, it contributes significantly to rising global temperatures, which have led to an increase in crop-destroying extreme weather.
Food waste is also a social issue. Researchers predict the demand for food will increase by 50% to feed over nine billion people by 2050. The more food is wasted, the less availability there is, the more strained natural resources become, and the costlier groceries will be for the most vulnerable communities.
Americans allow $1,200 to go to waste on unused food annually. With grocery prices rising 25% in the last four years, according to CNBC, you can save a lot of money by using as much food as possible.
Other ways to reduce food waste and your grocery bill include taking advantage of programs like Misfits Market, which sells odd-looking but perfectly tasty produce at a low cost.
What everyone's saying
The Instagram video has accrued more than 300 likes. One user gave Sustainability Matters a round of applause.
"It's also fun to pulse up some spinach with a little garlic and olive oil and use it to zhuzh up a plated dish. Drizzle or splash it on the plate… no matter what you've made, it'll look a little fancier!" they wrote.
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