According to the USDA, about 30 to 40 percent of food in the US is wasted every year. 

Caitlin Mellendorf, Nutrition Educator with the University of Illinois Extension in DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt Counties, explains that with the holidays come plenty of food, from extra Halloween candy to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner leftovers. She says it's important to keep waste to a minimum. 

It can be easy to let leftovers sit in the fridge for too long. Mellendorf says meal planning is a great way to figure out when you're going to eat last night's dinner, and when you're going to make something fresh. 

Seed saving is a practice that Mellendorf believes is always good. This allows you to expand your garden and rely less on spending money in the produce section of the grocery store. 

Mellendorf plans on diving more into the topic of Food Waste Prevention in 2026. Learn more about all things food waste and more at go.illinois.edu/food.