Of the $370 lost to each person as food waste each year in the U.S., fruits and veggies make up the 2nd largest total food dollars that go to waste @https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/spendsmart/2016/07/18/lets-talk-about-food-waste/. Or to put it another way, 52% of fruits and veggies get wasted (Number 1 when compared to other food groups) @https://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/food/everything-you-need-know-about-food-waste and this infographic (food waste in pounds by food group) @https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/902/2017/01/goes_to_waste.jpg or this one (how many $ we lose each year by food group) @https://choosemyplate-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/printablematerials/2015-LetsTalkTrash-1page.pdf

There are many creative ways to avoid food waste and use up fruits/veggies. Here, dietitians suggest ways to repurpose fruits and veggies @https://khni.kerry.com/news/articles/dietitians-provide-9-ways-to-repurpose-food-waste/ but there are more ideas…

Use all of it
**Use beet greens (sauté them) and what can you do with radish greens? Make pesto @https://www.thekitchn.com/dont-toss-those-radish-greens-145724
**Use all the parts of veggies such as shredding/shaving – use in broccoli/cauliflower stalks in slaw, stir fries, soups or stews
**Know which squash peel is edible @https://www.bonappetit.com/story/can-you-eat-squash-skin

Be creative

With cauliflower…
**Some very different ways to use cauliflower: in a cheese sauce, in hash browns (instead of potatoes) and in tabbouleh (instead of bulgur) @https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/6-unusual-ways-to-cook-with-cauliflower.
**A new tater tot made with cauliflower @ https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2019/01/14/cauliflower-tater-tots-recipe/

With sweet potatoes…
**Make noodles with them @ https://www.loveandlemons.com/sweet-potato-noodles-garlic-kale/
**For a new salad topping or snack…make crispy (baked) sweet potato ribbons @ https://thecleanplatechef.com/2015/01/13/crispy-sweet-potato-ribbons/
**A new ‘take’ on sliders @ https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a21084799/sweet-potato-sliders-recipe/
**Forget avocado toast…try curry chicken salad on sweet potato toast @ https://littlebitsof.com/2017/05/cashew-curry-chicken-salad-sweet-potato-toast/
**A new dessert…sweet potato boats @ https://veggiekinsblog.com/2018/11/08/sweet-potato-dessert-boats/

With squash…
**Make zucchini noodles or spirals (how to make them 4 ways) @ https://www.thekitchn.com/zucchini-noodles-259080 or no noodle zucchini lasagna @ https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/172958/no-noodle-zucchini-lasagna/
**Use butternut squash in a new way…in hash browns @ https://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breakfastbrunch/butternut-squash-hash-browns/ or latkes @ https://www.vickibensinger.com/butternut-squash-latkes/
**Make a new dip…with butternut squash @ https://www.everylastbite.com/2014/05/15/butternut-squash-dip/

With veggies or fruit…
**Compost cookies made with carrot and parsnip @ https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/nov/02/liam-charles-no-waste-recipe-for-carrot-and-parsnip-cookies
**Spinach in chocolate brownies @ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fudgy-chocolate-spinach-brownies-2355928
**Top cereal, pancakes, frozen yogurt with puréed fruit or sauce
**Instead of fruit pie, serve cooked fruit with granola or streusel topping

Cookbooks

**Amazing Waste: 50 recipes to use food scraps, repurpose leftovers, and reduce food waste (68 pp PDF) – http://www.gibbs-lab.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Cookbook050516.pdf
**Eat It Up (2016) – Sherri Brooks Vinton includes recipes for broccoli slaw, carrot top pesto, potato peel ‘croutons.’
**Root to Stalk Cooking (2013) – Tara Duggan includes recipes for using roots, bulbs & stems,leaves, flowers and fruits.
**Cooking with Scraps (2018) – Lindsay-Jean Hard includes how to make yellow bell pepper or lime peel or cucumber salt, pear or lemon peel sugar, pizza with zucchini stems.
**Secrets of Great Second Meals (2019) – Sara Dickerman includes recipes for salads and how to vary the recipes including using different ingredients, seasonings or using an ingredient in another way. Creative recipes include ricotta sandwiches with braised greens and banana bread sandwiches.