Did you know that about 40% of food is wasted somewhere along the supply chain? That’s like walking out of a grocery store with five bags of food and dropping two in the parking lot.

You may not feel like you waste that much food at home. Maybe you leave a few leftovers uneaten, let produce go bad before you can use it, or push an item to the back of the pantry and forget about it. But those little bits add up.

Food is an important resource. Making the most of what we have stretches grocery budgets, reduces waste, and makes better use of resources.

This October, Valley Outreach is participating in the Save Food, Spend Less Challenge, a challenge focused on reducing food waste while saving money and resources.

A Challenge That Meets You Where You Are

Food waste can happen in small ways: buying more than we need, cooking more than we can eat, or throwing away food that could have been used another way.

The Save Food, Spend Less Challenge helps you notice those habits and find practical ways to reduce food waste. The challenge runs October 1–31 and focuses on simple changes you can incorporate into your daily life.

You can choose from action categories like planning, shopping, cooking, storage, community and kids. Within each category, you’ll find simple actions you can try. For example, planning meals around food you already have, learning how to store food so it lasts longer, finding creative ways to use leftovers, or getting your family involved in reducing food waste.

For a family of four, avoiding wasted food could save as much as $3,000 a year! You don’t have to change everything at once. Start with one action that makes sense for you and your household, then build from there.

Making the Most of Food Is Something We Know Well

At Valley Outreach, making the most of food is part of what we do every day.

Our food shelf is a SuperShelf-certified grocery experience, giving clients access to nutritious food while offering choice and dignity. In addition to purchased food and community donations, we work with nine local grocery and convenience store partners to rescue food that might otherwise go to waste. About 20% of the food we distribute comes through food rescue, helping keep nutritious food in the community and out of the waste stream while reducing our reliance on food purchases as costs continue to rise.

We also work with Twin Cities Food Justice to make sure food that may not last until our next open day can still reach people through other local food shelves. When we can’t distribute food, we compost it or send it to local farmer partners to feed livestock. Last year, that meant 13,550 pounds of food were redistributed, 44,588 pounds of food were composted, and 121,729 pounds went to farmer partners—diverting a total of 179,867 pounds of food from waste.

It’s all part of making the most of what we have. We get good food to people who need it whenever possible and find another use for it when we can’t.

Join Us This October

Whether you’re already good at planning meals or you’re trying to figure out what to do with the vegetables sitting in your refrigerator, there’s a place for you in the Save Food, Spend Less Challenge.

Take the challenge, try a few new habits, and find what works for you and your household. Ready to get started? Visit savefoodmn.ecochallenge.org to learn more and join the free challenge.

Together, we can make the most of our food, stretch resources further, and build a more sustainable community.