Save Those Scraps

December 16, 2022Wellness Tips

Have you ever looked at the scraps from meal prepping and wished they could go somewhere other than the trash? In previous blogs, we have covered some of the biggest contributors to food waste such as misinterpreting food labels, forecasting to reduce excess, and how to know if a food is still good or not. But what can we do about the “inedible” parts of foods like peels, cores, meat trimmings, shells, and stems? When these organic materials end up in a landfill they impact the earth’s atmosphere and climate.¹ The gasses they produce constitute the majority of methane gas emissions in the US!²

Throwing away edible food has other impacts as well. You can save thousands of dollars each year by reducing waste in your kitchen! In fact, one woman saved $18,000 a year by practicing zero waste.⁴ Research has also shown that intentionally using or re-purposing food rather than throwing it out can translate to resourcefulness in other areas of your life.⁴ Let’s look at creative ways to re-purpose scraps to help the environment, economy, and maybe even your budget!

Coffee Grounds
Almost 65% of Americans drink coffee daily, and over 6 million tons of coffee grounds per year end up in landfills worldwide.³

In the Kitchen:
- Place the coffee grounds into a cheesecloth or muslin sack and place in filtered water overnight to make cold brew.
- Coffee is excellent on meats to help tenderize and add a rich, complex flavor. Mix with water to create a marinade overnight or mix with your favorite seasoning blend to create a rub that creates a wonderful crust. Try out this coffee-infused roast beef recipe.
- Re-incorporate grounds into baked goods and desserts that could use a nice coffee flavor!
- Coffee absorbs unwanted smells. Place a bowl of coffee grounds in the fridge or pantry or place grounds in pantyhose for a portable air freshener.
- Use the grounds as a scrub to scour pots and pans or to clean the grill. Coffee is a natural antimicrobial as well. Just be careful not to use it on porous surfaces like wooden cutting boards as it can stain!
In the Garden:
- Sprinkle coffee grounds into the soil for natural fertilizer.
- Many insects hate the smell of coffee. Try setting out small bowls of coffee grounds indoors or sprinkling them outside around your house.
In the Bath:
- The caffeine and antioxidants in coffee grounds can help to reduce the appearance of undereye bags by increasing blood flow. Mix a teaspoon of grounds with water or coconut oil until a paste is formed. Apply it under your eyes for 10 minutes before washing it off.
- Mix coffee grounds with water or oil to form a paste. Apply to the skin, rubbing in circles, for an exfoliated and glowing appearance. Some studies show that caffeine may even help to reduce the appearance of cellulite!
- Coffee grounds have been shown in studies to help stimulate hair follicle growth. Simply massage a handful of grounds into your hair and then rinse. Shampoo and condition it as normal.

Veggie Peels/Scraps
Potatoes

In the Kitchen:
- Most vegetable peels are edible and full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try leaving the skin on potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and other veggies to boost your nutrient intake!
- Make Potato Peel Chips for a delicious snack, a crunchy addition to soups and salads, gluten-free “bread crumbs”, or healthy casserole toppings.
- Place peels of vegetables in water to create a rich vegetable stock. Add meat and bones for additional flavor.
- Keep the peels on for gourmet mashed potatoes that are sure to be a hit for your holiday meals.
- Boil potato peels or reserve potato water to create a starch-rich liquid to thicken gravies, sauces, and stews.
- Make delicious and fluffy flatbreads or focaccia out of potato peels.
- Roast white and sweet potato peels in the oven or air-fryer for a nutritious dog treat.
In the Bath:
- Potato skins may be your skin’s new best friend! Some evidence and anecdotal reports claim that placing potato skins, rich in enzymes, on your skin can help with warts, burns, pimples, or acne.

Greens & Herbs

In the Kitchen:
- Leafy greens from root veggies like beets, carrots, and radishes are packed with vitamins and minerals. They make wonderful additions to sauteed greens, pesto, hummus, soups, salads, egg dishes, smoothies, and sauces.
- Tomato is a strong flavor that can handle most veggies. Throw your leftover greens and herbs into tomato-based sauces and blend away!
- Have herbs that are going bad? Blend the whole herb (yes, stems included!) with either water or oil. Pour the mix into ice cube trays to create flavor bombs for soups, stews, eggs, sauteed veggies, meats, and fish, and as water enhancers.
- Try out this Veggie Scrap Soup for a delicious and nutritious side dish or warm entrée in less than 30 minutes.
In the Bath:
- Make herb-infused oils to add bright flavor to dishes or for skin care.

Carrots

In the Kitchen:
- Try carrot peel chips that are just as nutritious as they are tasty!
- Incorporate into Carrot Cake Overnight Oats for a super simple breakfast prep.
- Incorporate into pesto or hummus for a zesty kick.
- This carrot-based soup is like a warm hug, perfect for cold evenings.

Stalks

In the Kitchen:
- While the stalks may be a bit tougher, many are perfectly edible. Feel free to leave them on while roasting or sautéing.
- This gnocchi makes the perfect addition to a winter meal and can be made with either broccoli or cauliflower stalks.
- Rice cauliflower and broccoli in a food processor to make a veggie-based rice substitute.
- Create “fries” that are a perfect addition to a burger or sandwich.
- Broccoli stems add crunch and flavor to slaw any time of year.
- Incorporate cauliflower and broccoli stems into hashbrowns.
- Add veggie stems into stir-fries or blend into pesto, and you won’t notice a difference!
- Are asparagus ends not your favorite? Re-purpose them for this warm and comforting asparagus soup.

Miscellaneous

In the Kitchen:
- Pumpkins are often wasted in the fall and winter. Check out this blog on ways to reuse the pumpkin rind and ways to enjoy pumpkin seeds.
- Save your beets and beet peels to make beet powder. Use it as a performance enhancer during exercise. Its natural nitric oxide boosts circulation!
- Create a punchy spread by roasting veggie scraps and leftovers and blending them with yogurt or tahini. Goes great with bread, in sandwiches, wraps, or burgers, or as a dressing!
- Save your cucumber peels, add them to water, and let them sit overnight in the fridge. You’ll have refreshing cucumber water to quench your thirst AND nutrient-rich water that will help your plants grow.
- Save tomato peels to make tomato powder that can add umami to sauces and soups, add tomato flavor to pizza and popcorn, or use as a seasoning for veggies and meat.
In the Garden:
- If you enjoyed the quality of a certain vegetable, save the ends/roots or seeds of vegetables to regrow in your own home or garden!

Fruit
Citrus Peels

Citrus peels can carry more pesticides and herbicides than others, so buy organic citrus if possible and wash peels well with a fruit and veggie cleaner.

In the Kitchen:
- Make citrus zest to add to marinades, sautés, salads, bowls, and dressings.
- Place peels in water, teas, oils, vinegar, or even alcohol for a refreshing infusion and fun twist.
In the Bath:
- Save citrus peels to throw into hot baths for relaxing essential oils sure to complete your at-home spa experience.
In the Home:
- Ever heard of “stovetop potpourri“? Make your house smell divine with spices and fruit peels.
- Clean coffee and food stains with the power of peels! Add lemon peels, ice, salt, and water to coffee pots and scrub.
- Create your DIY all-purpose spray that cleans as well as Lysol using fruits and vinegar.

Apples & Bananas

In the Kitchen:
- Throw apple peels into overnight oats, smoothies, pancakes, and baked goods for some fall “apple pie” flavor.
- Create your own DIY apple cider vinegar using apple scraps.
- Boil apple scraps and cinnamon sticks for an inviting and comforting tea – don’t forget the honey!
- Puree banana peels to add to smoothies, banana bread, cakes, muffins, and pancakes. Bananas can be another pesticide-heavy crop, so opt for organic bananas if using the peels.
- Yes, there is such a thing as vegan bacon! Have you heard of this banana peel bacon?
In the Garden:
- Banana peels make excellent fertilizer by either soaking the bananas in water to create potassium-rich water to hydrate your plant or chopping them into fine pieces and placing them in the soil to decompose.
In the Bath:
- Banana peels can help warts disappear and can bring out splinters! Simply tape a small section of the banana peel to the affected area and leave it on for several hours or overnight.

Tropical Fruits & Melons

In the Kitchen:
- Boil pineapple skin in some water and add your favorite spices like cinnamon and clove for a flavor-explosion tea!
- Pineapples are naturally rich in an antioxidant called bromelain that has been shown to help the skin glow. Simply blend pineapple peels into a paste and apply to the face for 5-10 minutes.
- In many countries, pickled rinds are a delicacy with a bright kick! Make this dish with any melon or pineapple rind.
- Pomegranate peels are loaded with antioxidants and are too good to be thrown away! Try this pomegranate tea.
- Dehydrate peels in the oven or dehydrator to create peel powder. Add it to smoothies for an extra boost of nutrients!
- Make mango syrup to sweeten water or other beverages by boiling mango peels with sugar and lemon juice.
- Kiwi skins are completely edible! First-timers should first try a golden kiwi with thinner skin and fewer fibers.
In the Garden:
- Avocado skins make the perfect “boats” for young seedlings and herbs.
In the Bath:
- Avocado oil is nourishing for the skin. Rub avocado peels on dry areas of skin and rinse off after 15 minutes or throw them into the bath water for a gentle infusion.

Grain products
Cereals and grain products make up the largest percentage of food that ends up in landfills.⁵

In the Kitchen:
- Check out this recipe that uses stale bread for a tasty addition to your holiday meal.
- Need a topping for your homemade mac and cheese or casserole? Turn your stale bread into breadcrumbs! Simply toast the bread and then place it in a blender or food processor.
- Create croutons for soups and salads using stale bread or place a piece of stale bread on top of French onion soup.
- Make bread pudding for your next holiday gathering.
- Want a breakfast that is sure to feed and please a crowd? Try out this French Toast Bake using old or stale bread.
- Ever heard of Panzanella? This Italian bread salad is not your average salad but is sure to be a hit.
- If your cereal has gone stale, check out these 8 creative ways to re-purpose America’s favorite breakfast item.
- Use stale tortilla chips in soups, chilis, “Mexican pizza”, or scrambled eggs, or blend them up to use as breadcrumbs.
- Don’t let those tortillas go to waste – here’s how to turn them into crunchy tortilla chips.
- Check out this blog to find ways to continue to enjoy your crackers that might be on their way out.

Animal Products
Egg, Shells, & Bones

In the Kitchen:
- Did you know that egg shells are mostly calcium carbonate, and nature’s own perfect calcium supplement? This can be a free and great way to supplement with calcium if you are dairy free, have been told you have thinner bones, or are going through/post-menopause.
- If you have made the eggshell powder, you can use it as a natural “Bon Ami” to get off the toughest baked-on materials from dishes and pans. Combine with salt to add more grit and use a metal sponge to scrub away!
- The minerals in egg shells can help cut the acidity of coffee (especially instant coffee) to provide a smooth flavor. Run the egg shells under hot water to remove all membranes and place them in the oven for a few minutes to sterilize, and then place the broken pieces of egg shells into your coffee basket and run as usual.
- Throw egg shells into stocks and broths for extra nutrients
- Don’t throw away those turkey or ham bones! Make bone broth instead! Bone broth is rich in nutrients and good for gut healing support as well! Use it in soups, and stews, and turn it into a delicious gravy.
In the Garden:
- Egg shells are extremely rich in calcium that your plants could benefit from! Soak cleaned egg shells in water overnight in the fridge and use it to water your plants the next day.
- Egg shells make the perfect zero-waste pots for seedlings and leech important nutrients into the soil. Save your egg carton to keep the eggshells upright.
- Plant small bones under trees and bushes to add nutrients like calcium and phosphorus back into the soil to help plants grow faster.
In the Home:
- If your clothes are looking dull, grab an herb or cheesecloth bag and add your sterilized egg shells and a few lemon slices or peels. The calcium citrate will help remove the soap and “gunk” build-up to reveal bright colors.

Fat & Grease

In the Kitchen:
- Don’t toss your drippings this year! The drippings are a perfect combination of rendered fat, spices, herbs, and broth. Collect them in a small container and store them in the fridge to season other meats and vegetables.
- Did you know that you can save leftover oil from sautéing, frying, or deep frying? Use this guide to do so safely.
- Making bacon for a family breakfast? Here’s how to save the grease and use it all year round.

There are so many different ways to reuse foods and food scraps that can help create new flavorful dishes and even aid in health. Although life can get busy, consider freezing vegetable scraps in a bag for broths or fruit peels for teas! Another option to help reduce carbon emissions is donating food scraps to local farms for animal feed. You might also consider sharing waste or starting your own compost pile! In just a few steps, you can be well on your way to creating nutrient-rich compost that can be used to fertilize your plants or your neighbors’!

The dietitians here at Summerfield can’t wait to hear about the ways you can save food and create new recipes!

Sources: