Some tips for reducing food waste include making smart shopping decisions, meal planning, knowing how to read expiration dates, practicing proper food storage, learning food preservation, eating ugly produce, organizing food storage spaces, using leftovers wisely, watching serving sizes and reusing food scraps. A variety of articles about reducing food waste and reusing food scraps were reviewed to create the list of tips below. To ensure that the tips provided can be considered "effective" or "best," we included only those seen in two or more articles.

MAKE SMART SHOPPING DECISIONS
Make a list and buy only what you need and can use before the food expires.
 Check your fridge and pantry when making your list so you don't buy things you already have.
Make more frequent trips to the store, buying only what you need for the days in between.
 Avoid buying in bulk as this has been shown to increase food waste.
Avoid impulse buys, which often lead to higher food waste.

MEAL PLAN
Spend time on your days off planning your meals for the rest of the week, including what you will eat out and what you will cook or prep in advance.
Your meal planning process should inform your grocery list.
Make meal planning easier and faster by keeping a list of meals you and your family enjoy, which you can choose from while planning.
As soon as you are home from shopping, complete your food prep for the week, such as washing, chopping, slicing, etc., which will make it quicker and easier to stick to your plan.

KNOW HOW TO READ "EXPIRATION" DATES
Most food with a recent "expiration" or "sell-by" date is still safe to eat.
On the other hand, food past it's "use-by" date should probably not be consumed.

PRACTICE PROPER FOOD STORAGE
Know which fruits and vegetables need to be stored in the refrigerator and which do not as improper storage can cause early ripening and eventual rot. For example, potatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator.
Store foods that produce a high level of ethylene while ripening, including avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, tomatoes, green onions, pears and peaches, separate from other produce.

LEARN FOOD PRESERVATION
Learn preservation techniques for different foods, such as canning, pickling, freezing, fermenting or drying to increase food life.

EAT "UGLY" PRODUCE
Avoid the urge to only eat the perfect-looking produce. While "ugly" fruits and vegetables taste the same and have as much nutrition as fruit that appears perfect, consumer desire for perfect looking produce results in a large amount of food waste.
In some cases, retailers offer non-perfect produce at a reduced price, so this approach can also save you money!

ORGANIZE YOUR FOOD STORAGE SPACES
Keeping your fridge, freezer and pantry organized and clean can help you see what food is available in order to plan meals and avoid buying things you already have.
Using a "first in first out" method for organizing food storage spaces ensures that the oldest foods are in front and prioritizes their use over newer foods toward the back, avoiding spoilage.

USE LEFTOVERS WISELY
Store leftovers in clear containers, such as glass, so that you can see what it is, making it more likely you won't forget about it.
Before meal planning, check what leftovers you have and identify any that could be used in new meals.

WATCH YOUR SERVING SIZE
Pay attention to how much food you put on your plate, ensuring it is within recommended serving sizes. Not only will this help maintain healthy weight, it will avoid excess food from your plate being thrown away when you are too full to finish it.

BEST WAYS TO REUSE SCRAPS
Use leftover vegetables, meats, bones to make a stock or broth, which can then be used in soups or stews.
Add produce scraps, such as peels, ends and stems, to smoothies.
Use fruit scraps, such as strawberry tops, to make infused water.
Use crushed egg shells to sharpen garbage disposal blades or fertilize houseplants.
Save used coffee grounds to fertilize houseplants, absorb odors in the fridge or as a mosquito repellent.