The summer months are some of the nicest. Fruits and vegetables are in season, and dinner parties are prevalent. That being said, due to the excessive amount of produce and cooking, it’s inherent that there will be a lot of food waste which can end up in the landfill or in your compost bin. This article will display a few examples of how one can use the entire fruit or vegetable without generating any food waste and use parts that are usually discarded. The scraps that get thrown away typically hold a lot of nutritional value and can be transformed into something delicious. Most people traditionally save scraps to make a stock or fertilizer, but there is indeed more use for these scraps if one gets creative!

Fruits and vegetables on a table.

Roasted Soy Maple Carrots with Green Goddess Sauce

Many people do not consume carrot tops. In reality, carrots tops can be used in a variety of dishes and can be just as delicious as carrots themselves!

Roasted Soy Maple Carrots

6 washed, unpeeled carrots 

green tops from carrots 

⅓ cup maple syrup

½ cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Thoroughly wash your carrots and poke holes in the carrots with a fork to ensure even cooking.
  3. Combine all wet and dry ingredients.
  4. Massage marinade onto carrots and place onto baking sheets.
  5. Cook for an hour or until crispy and fork tender.

Green Goddess Sauce

green tops from carrots

2 cloves garlic 

1 tbsp nutritional yeast 

½ cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

  1. Add carrot tops, olive oil, and garlic to a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste is created (add more olive oil if needed).
  2. Add dry ingredients and blend until emulsified.
  3. Serve on the roasted carrots and enjoy!

Crispy Kale Ribs

Kale ribs are typically thrown away due to the nature of their toughness! With some preparation, they can be made into a delicious snack!

 8 discarded kale ribs

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp smoked paprika 

1 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Massage oil onto the kale ribs.
  3. Coat in dry spices.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
  5. Switch on the broil function and allow to broil until crispy.
  6. Enjoy with any of your favorite condiments!

Potato Skin Chips

Potato peels are one of the most commonly discarded food scraps. When in reality potato skins actually hold a lot of nutrition and can be used in a variety of recipes.

potato skins

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp smoked paprika 

2 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp dried basil 

salt & pepper to taste

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.
  2. Soak potato skins in cold water for 30-60 minutes to remove excess starch and ensure crispiness.
  3. Towel dry potato skins and transfer to a lined baking sheet.
  4. Massage in olive oil.
  5. Add and massage in dry seasonings.
  6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
  7. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!