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Apps to Save Food and Reduce Food Waste
Published: Sep. 10, 2023When you throw food away you're also wasting all of the valuable resources that went into growing, harvesting, preparing, packaging and transporting that food — and, of course, you're also wasting money.
Producing uneaten food squanders a whole host of resources — seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital — and greenhouse gases are generated at every stage. The food we waste is responsible for roughly 8% of global emissions. When food is thrown away, it ends up in a landfill where it rots and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that's more potent than carbon dioxide. These greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food. In the US alone, wasted food generates the equivalent of 32.6 million cars' worth of greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing food waste is the number one strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the climate crisis — more than electric vehicles, solar or wind power.
— Project Drawdown
The apps below will help you save food, money and time and will also help you fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gases. You'll find an app that has a database of over 11 million recipes to help you cook with the food and ingredients you have on hand, as well as an app that will help you purchase leftover food from local restaurants, bakeries and cafés at huge discounts. Some of them will even keep track of how much food you've saved.
Fridge Night
Fridge Night is the #1 app proven to reduce your food waste by more than 40%. Features proven to help you use up leftovers. Save food, save time and save money. Search recipe finder by ingredient. Complete easy and fun weekly challenges. Win coupons & unlock donations. Available for Android and Apple devices. Learn More
SuperCook
How many times have you found yourself looking for that perfect recipe – only to find that you’re missing one or more ingredients? How many times have you opened the fridge and thought to yourself — what can I make ? How many times have you thrown away an ingredient, because you couldn't figure out how to use it before it expired?
SuperCook to the rescue!
Supercook is a recipe search engine that lets you search by ingredients you have at home. Find thousands of recipes you can make right now with the ingredients you have available at home. Supercook can help you save hundreds on grocery bills. The SuperCook app has consolidated over 11 million recipes from 18,000 recipe websites, in 20 languages to create the largest recipe collection ever.
Kitche
Designed to help you buy what you eat and eat what you buy. Kitche is a free food waste app that will help you save you money and reduce your food waste at home. Keep track of the food items you have at home. Find 1000's of tasty recipes, based upon what you have. Get exclusive chef hacks and food tips. Be rewarded for positive impact! Available for Android and Apple devices. Learn More
Too Good To Go
Rescue "Surprise Bags" filled with delicious, unsold food from participating restaurants, bakeries and cafes near you. Reserve your bag through the app, and then go and collect your food at a pre-set time. Enjoy your food knowing you’ve done something good for the planet! Pay right in the app using any major credit card, VISA debit card, or SNAP EBT card. Available for Android and Apple devices. Learn More
Flashfood
Get massive savings on fresh food items like meat and produce that are nearing their best before date at grocery stores across Canada and the U.S. Find your deals and pay right in the app using any major credit card, VISA debit card, or SNAP EBT card. Available for Android and Apple devices. Learn More
No Waste
Easily track, organize and manage the food in your home! With lists for your freezer, fridge and pantry, you can easily check what food you have left, see what food you need to use first, plan your meals, create a shopping list, avoid unnecessary purchases, reduce food waste and save a bunch of money. Inventory lists for your freezer, fridge and pantry. Sort your food by expiration date, name or category. Search and find your food in seconds. Track your food waste by deleting your food as eaten or expired. Follow your monthly food waste & savings. Learn More
Your Food No Waste Inventory
Your Food is a mobile application developed to help you organize your fridge, your freezer and your pantry very easily and very quickly. The application will also help you manage your shopping list, your budget expenses and much more. Available for Android devices. Learn More
USDA FoodKeeper
The FoodKeeper app provides storage advice for more than 400 food items. Available for Android and Apple devices. Learn More
