How to Use Food Scraps

Yes, You Should Eat Your Food Scraps—Here’s How

We’re all looking for more sustainable—and less expensive!—ways to eat. But even if you try to buy from local farmers, focus on plant-based foods over animal products and try to reduce food waste in your kitchen as much as possible, you’re probably going to have some food scraps left over after you finish cooking. Composting those scraps is definitely better than throwing them straight in a trash bag destined for a landfill, but according to the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale, finding a way to use our scraps is a much better option than composting. After all, a lot of time, energy and labor went into growing and harvesting your food, and you spent your hard-earned money buying it. Shouldn’t you use up as much of that food as possible?

Although we might categorize certain parts of food as “scraps,” that doesn’t mean they’re not edible (or delicious!). Let’s take a closer look at some easy ways to use up the food scraps in your kitchen, and maybe you’ll get inspired to use the stuff you would’ve once trashed.

1. Carrot Greens

You’ve snagged a particularly pretty bunch of carrots from the farmer’s market, but once you’ve roasted the carrots, you’re left with a bunch of greens that may seem useless to the uninitiated. In reality, though, carrot greens can be a delicious, fresh addition to an herby salad or can be processed into a floral pesto. You can even make your own chimichurri from your leftover carrot greens. Why waste money on yet another bag of greens that you’re probably not going to finish when you already have some attached to your carrots?

2. Onion Skins

You’re probably not going to want to add plain onion skins to your salad, but that doesn’t mean they’re useless. You can add onion skins and other food scraps to a pot of boiling water and salt to create your own vegetable broth. Once the water has been boiling for a while and the broth is flavorful enough, you can strain out the onion skins and other scraps and either use the broth straight away or freeze it so you have some on hand when you need it.

3. Parsley Stems

A lot of people throw their parsley stems away, but you actually can use them in a variety of ways. Although the stems tend to be more bitter than the leaves, they can still be added to marinades and oil-based dressings for an herbier flavor, or they can be processed into a pesto-like sauce. By chopping them finely, you won’t have to contend with their stemmy texture.

4. Strawberry Tops

If you’re like me, you grew up eating around the leaves of strawberries. Maybe you even cut the tops off entirely. However, it’s not necessary—it’s perfectly safe (even healthy) to eat the leaves, as they contain nutrients that you’d find in other greens. If you’re not fond of eating strawberry leaves straight (which, valid), you can always add them to smoothies for a bit of extra nutrition with a juicy kick.

5. Squash Seeds

Squash and pumpkin seeds often end up in the trash, which is truly a tragedy, because when they’re seasoned with olive oil and spices and then roasted, they make a delicious snack. You’ll have to wash the seeds off, of course, but after that, turning them into a flavorful, crunchy snack only takes a few minutes. Make sure to add plenty of salt to really highlight their subtly nutty flavor.

6. Chicken Bones

Broth made from chicken bones is way better than the stuff you buy in a carton at the grocery store, and it’s relatively easy to make: Just boil the bones with some salt until the broth reaches your preferred flavor intensity. If you want to make your broth even better, combine the chicken bones with your vegetable scraps, and boil it all together. You’ll never want to go back to store-bought broth again.

7. Broccoli Stalks

Most people prefer broccoli florets over the stalks, but it’s a mistake to throw the stalks out. They have a milder, sweeter flavor than the florets, and they may even appeal to those who dislike broccoli because of its particularly bitter flavor. Just keep in mind that the stalks and florets have to be treated differently. Stalks often need a bit of extra cook time to tap into their sweet, tender potential. Chopping them up into small pieces can also speed the cooking process along.

8. Watermelon Rinds

The only thing better than eating a big, juicy watermelon during the summer is saving the rinds and pickling them. Pickled watermelon rinds are, for the uninitiated, the height of pickled foods. They’re crunchy with just a hint of sweetness to them. Add them to salads, tacos or rice bowls, or just eat them on their own straight from the jar.

9. Orange Peels

There’s a lot you can do with orange peels, but I especially enjoy adding them to marinades for a sweet, citrus-y flavor that plays well with otherwise salty, spicy and savory flavors. If you tend toward the sweeter end of the food spectrum, you can also make candied orange peels by drying the peels and coating them in sugar. They can be eaten on their own as a healthy-ish candy alternative, or you can use them to top desserts like cake and fudge.

10. Bacon Grease

Whatever you do, do not throw your bacon grease away. There are few ways to make your food more flavorful than cooking it in bacon grease. I particularly like cooking leaner cuts of meat, like chicken breast, in bacon grease, as they often need some extra fat to prevent them from getting too dry.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.

Yes, You Should Eat Your Food Scraps—Here’s How