Food waste at home tends to start with a single container pushed to the back of the fridge. It was fine on Monday, it is a question mark by Friday, and by Sunday it is gone. Most of the habits below exist to keep that container in sight.
The FAO's events page lists the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste for September 29, 2026, its seventh observance. The day is a handy reminder to look at what your own fridge does with food. Seven habits follow, all about the fridge and freezer.
An eat-first shelf
Pick one shelf at eye level, or a clear bin on it. Anything open, cut or left over goes there, and it gets used before anything on the other shelves is touched. Half an onion, the last third of a block of cheese, Tuesday's rice. The shelf turns "what should I make?" into "what is on the shelf?"
Cool it quickly, in small containers
Leftovers belong in the fridge or freezer within two hours of serving, according to the University of Illinois Extension. A big pot of chili cools slowly in the middle, so divide it into smaller containers and stir as it cools. The same guidance puts cooked food on the top or second shelf, above anything raw.
A day limit for leftovers
Illinois Extension gives 3 to 4 days for refrigerated leftovers and 3 to 4 months for frozen ones, and 165°F as the minimum when you reheat. Write the date on the lid; a day limit is only useful when you can see it.
| Leftovers | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| In the refrigerator | 3 to 4 days | Covered |
| In the freezer | 3 to 4 months | Dated before they go in |
| Reheated | at least 165°F | Check with a thermometer |
Source: University of Illinois Extension, Leftovers (linked above).
Single portions in the freezer
Freeze what you will not finish in the amounts you would serve: one cup of soup, two enchiladas, a scoop of cooked beans. Flat bags stack neatly and thaw faster than a block in a tub. Freeze them the day you cook, not on day four.
A scrap bag next to the ice
Onion ends, carrot peels, celery tops and parsley stems go into one freezer bag. When it is full, cover the contents with cold water, simmer gently for 1 hour and strain. That is a stock made from what would have been thrown out.
Bread that goes stale in the freezer door
Slice a loaf you will not finish and freeze it in a bag; toast the slices straight from there. The heels and the odd stale slice become croutons: 4 cups in 1-inch cubes, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes. The Thanksgiving leftovers note has more for the fridge after a big meal.
Half-used produce, up front
Cut lemons, a quarter of a cabbage, the rest of a bunch of herbs: put them in a container on the eat-first shelf with the date taped on, not in the crisper where they vanish. Cabbage goes into a slaw or soup, herbs into a sauce, and lemons into a dressing. For more on spending less at the store, see the 2015 grocery tips.
Begin with the shelf
If you do one thing this week, clear one shelf and call it the eat-first shelf. The rest only makes it work better.
