Hey Ms. Green,

My family loves to recycle, but they sometimes waste food. How do I get them to understand that food waste hurts the environment?

—Michelle in North Reading, Massachusetts

Reducing food waste is one of the most important lifestyle changes you can make to support the planet. But I get it: Convincing kids of that fact can be easier said than done. 

Stories are the most powerful way to inspire people to try something new. Instead of tossing food waste at the end of a meal, create characters out of compostables! Track their stories with your kids, from farm to table and from there to the compost bin, where they can be turned into soil that produces more amazing tales of compostables over and over again (instead of going to the landfill, where they produce toxic methane). 

Next, shop your kitchen before shopping at the store to see if you already have the ingredients you need. Try Mealime, a free meal-planning and grocery-list app to help you keep track. Or make your own grocery list and estimate portions accurately using SaveTheFood.com’s Guest-imator or Meal Prep Mate. 

Go on a scavenger hunt for cheaper, “ugly” produce at the store. If your local community-supported-agriculture farm delivers without using plastic and reuses boxes, sign up. CSAs minimize food waste by growing food for the number of members who preorder. If you can’t shop at a CSA, co-op, or farmers’ market (localharvest.org), try big grocers that have a high score from the Center for Biological Diversity (grocerywaste.com) and commit to zero food waste.  

Other practical tips: Put food that needs to be eaten first (such as leftovers) on the top shelf of your fridge. Avoid washing produce until you’re ready to eat it so it doesn’t get moldy. Include children when making school lunches, and ask them to bring home their leftovers so you can figure out the right food and portions to pack. 

This article has been updated since publication.