Growing up, I was taught not to waste food, so I always feel guilty if I don’t go through all the leftovers in my fridge before they spoil. Lately, it seems like most people are also trying to be eco-conscious about not wasting food.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, an American family of four loses approximately $1,500 per year on food waste. This figure changes based on the cost of food and the size of a family, with some evidence showing that families with children and higher incomes tend to waste food the most. The upside to this is that some programs are being put in place, such as the US 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal, which aims to reduce food waste in our communities.
If you’re looking to reduce your waste footprint at home, there are apps that can help you cut back on food waste. Some are helpful in reminding you of items you may have forgotten about in your fridge, and others connect you with businesses that want to get rid of food at a discounted price before they close for the day. Either way, if you’re looking to waste less food and even save some money, this is a good place to start.
1. Too Good to Go
Reduce food waste through local businesses
Too Good to Go is a free app that was originally founded in Copenhagen and has since spread to 10 countries in Europe and North America. It connects you to local restaurants and stores that have leftover food that’s sold for a discounted price to the public to avoid food waste.
I discovered this app a couple of years ago through word of mouth and loved the concept. It’s common for restaurants to dispose of food at the end of the day, so this was an alternative that prevented perfectly good food from being dumped.
When you sign up for the app, you’ll get a list of restaurants or businesses in your area participating in the Too Good to Go program. The businesses will provide the hours when you can come and pick up the “surprise bag” they gather for you based on the food they’re trying to get rid of. You will reserve a bag and pay the fee, which varies by store through the app. The one downside is that you can’t control what foods some establishments give you, so keep that in mind. Depending on where you’re located, demand may be high, so it’s best to reserve your bag as soon as possible.
2. Oh A Potato
How many times have you looked in your fridge and been stumped about what to make? Or maybe you noticed the bag of spinach you bought a week ago has officially gone bad before you even had a chance to consider using it. It’s common for food to go to waste in your fridge if you get busy during the week or forget about it altogether. Enter, Oh A Potato, an app meant to scan items in your fridge to help you meal prep and offer recipes collected from everywhere online. The app will cost you $7 a month, $40 for the year or $200 for a lifetime.
Oh A Potato has an AI option, which uses your phone camera to scan up to four items in your fridge and then gives you recipe ideas. It also lets you input the foods you have currently in your fridge and consolidates this information to determine what meals you can make out of these ingredients. Sometimes, some of the recipes it pulls from the internet are good options — assuming you have the other ingredients as well. You can also save recipes you enjoy to revisit later and create meal plans and grocery lists. I could see this being a helpful app if you’re busy and want to take the guesswork out of deciding what you should make for dinner.
3. Olio
Sometimes, you have not only food, but clothes (and other items) you’re trying to sell, borrow and donate. Olio simplifies the process for you. This app lets you connect with local neighbors to sell or donate food and even borrow other non-food items like bassinets and wheelchairs, for example.
Similar to Too Good to Go, your local neighbors need to be signed up to connect with you. You can even expand the distance radius on the app, in case there aren’t many people in your immediate area participating. This app gives you the opportunity to get rid of food that you no longer need, but is still safe to eat. It’s also helpful if you have clothing or things at home that are still in good condition, but you’d like to rehome because you’re trying to clear space.
This app is free to use, but you can upgrade your subscription to Olio Supporter, which gives you faster notifications and first dibs on new listings in your area. You can purchase a monthly subscription for $4 or an annual subscription for $24.37.
4. Flashfood
Groceries can get expensive, and sometimes the bare essentials you need you can’t find on sale. Flashfood is an app developed to connect you to local grocery stores that are selling food like fruits, vegetables, bread, meats, desserts and more at a discounted rate (up to 50% off). Stores participating in this app may be your local supermarket, grocery or convenience store looking to avoid throwing out food that is still perfectly good.
Depending on where you live, you may see more or fewer stores, but you can adjust the radius of your location if you don’t mind going out of your way to pick up food. This can also be a helpful app if you’re looking for last-minute groceries to make dinner the same night, since you can get some of the ingredients you need all discounted.
Although the app is free to use, you will pay a 5% service fee on the total every time you purchase items through the app.
