Best way to reduce food waste at home

Meal planning before you shop cuts waste way more than anything else - when you actually know what you're cooking for the week, you buy only what you need instead of letting produce rot in the crisper. Keep your fridge organized so you can see what's there and use older stuff first, and don't be afraid to freeze things that are about to go bad. Getting comfortable with "imperfect" meals helps too - wilted spinach goes into eggs or soups, stale bread becomes croutons, overripe fruit freezes for smoothies.

I've found that the real killer is not using up what's already in the fridge before it spoils - you can plan all you want but if you forget about that half-empty jar of sauce or the greens shoved in the back, it's gone anyway. I keep a running list on my phone of what's actually in there and check it when deciding what to cook, which sounds tedious but it's weirdly quick once you get the habit. That paired with knowing roughly when things go bad (like how long opened stuff lasts) saves way more than any shopping strategy.