Preventing Food Waste: 5 Safe Storage Tips for Parents to Teach Kids

As parents, we’re always looking for ways to teach our kids skills that they can carry into adulthood. One of the easiest and most impactful lessons you can share with your kids is how to properly store food.

Not only does this help prevent food from going to waste, but it also saves your family money and ensures the food you eat stays fresh and safe. Plus, learning about food storage can give kids a sense of responsibility and ownership in the kitchen.

In this post, we’ll walk through some simple, hands-on tips that will help you teach your kids the basics of food storage. These small habits can make a big difference, and the earlier your kids learn them, the better.

Why Safe Food Storage Matters

Before jumping into specific tips, it’s helpful to explain to your kids why safe food storage is so important. When food isn’t stored properly, it can spoil more quickly.

This leads to wasted food, which can be frustrating—especially if you spent money on groceries that go bad before you have a chance to eat them.

Fun Fact: The average family of four throws away $1,500 worth of food every year, mostly because it wasn’t stored properly!

Teaching your kids about safe food storage helps them understand how to make sure food stays fresh longer. It’s also a good way to start talking about how food waste affects the environment.

Wasting less food means fewer trips to the grocery store, less energy used for storage, and fewer resources needed to produce and transport food.

So, by teaching your kids these skills, you’re helping them develop good habits that will benefit your family and the planet.

Know Where to Store Food

The first step in teaching your kids about food storage is helping them understand where different types of food should go. This might seem simple to us as adults, but for kids, it’s an important foundation.

Fridge, Pantry, or Counter?

Start by explaining that not all foods need to go in the fridge. Some foods stay fresh longer when they’re kept in a cool, dry place like the pantry, while others do just fine on the counter.

For example, milk, eggs, and meats always go in the fridge, but items like bread, canned goods, and pasta can be stored in the pantry.

Bananas and tomatoes can stay on the counter until they ripen, then they can be moved to the fridge.

Did You Know?
Bananas release a gas called ethylene that speeds up ripening of other fruits around them. Teach kids to store bananas separately to keep other fruits fresh longer.

Involve Your Kids

Next time you come home from the grocery store, let your kids help you unpack the groceries. As you put items away, explain where each one belongs.

For example, “We put the eggs in the fridge because they need to stay cold to stay fresh.” Or, “The bread goes in the pantry because it stays soft when it’s stored in a cool, dry place.”

This hands-on activity will help your kids remember where different foods belong, and it makes the process feel more like teamwork.

Use Clear Containers for Leftovers

Leftovers are a great way to avoid wasting food, but they’re only useful if you remember to eat them before they go bad. This is where clear containers and labelling come in handy.

Why Clear Containers?

Clear containers are great because they allow you and your kids to see what’s inside without having to open the lid.

When food is stored in opaque containers, it’s easy to forget about it because you can’t see it. But with clear containers, you can quickly glance in the fridge and know exactly what’s available to eat.

Statistic: Around 30% of food waste happens because people forget about leftovers. By labelling and making them visible, you’re more likely to use them up.

The Importance of Labelling

In addition to using clear containers, labeling is key. Show your kids how to use a piece of masking tape and a marker to write the date on leftovers.

This way, they’ll know when the food was made and how long it’s been in the fridge. Explain that leftovers should be eaten within 3-4 days to stay safe.

Get Kids Involved

You can make labeling fun by letting your kids use colorful markers or stickers. Ask them to help you label the containers after meals or when packing away leftovers.

This helps them feel more responsible for keeping track of food and encourages them to eat what’s already in the fridge.

Practice First In, First Out (FIFO)

One of the most effective ways to prevent food waste is by following the “First In, First Out” rule. This simply means that the food you bought first should be eaten first.

How FIFO Works

Teach your kids that when they’re putting new groceries away, they should move the older items to the front and place the new items in the back. This way, the older food gets eaten first, and nothing gets forgotten at the back of the fridge or pantry.

Checking Expiration Dates

This is also a great time to teach your kids about expiration dates. Show them how to check the “Best By” or “Use By” dates on food items and explain what those dates mean.

Foods with sooner expiration dates should be moved to the front so they get used before newer items.

Myth vs. Fact:
Myth: Food goes bad right after its expiration date. Fact: Many foods are still safe to eat after the “Best By” date. The date is more about quality than safety, so always check for signs of spoilage first!

How to Teach Kids the Difference of Expiration Dates

• Safety vs. Quality: Make sure to explain that “Use By” is all about safety, while “Best Before” and “Best By” are about how fresh or tasty the food is.
• Senses Can Help: For food past its “Best Before” date, encourage your kids to use their senses—sight, smell, and taste—to see if it still seems good to eat. If it looks, smells, and tastes okay, it’s probably fine, but always double-check.

To make it fun, try comparing two foods—one before its “Best By” date and one after. Let your kids see if they can tell the difference in taste or texture. This hands-on approach will help them remember!

Make it a Fun Routine

Once a week, go through the fridge and pantry with your kids to check for food that should be eaten soon.

Turn it into a game by challenging your kids to spot the oldest items or foods that are about to expire.

This hands-on activity not only teaches them about FIFO but also encourages them to be more mindful about using what’s already there.

Freeze Food to Make It Last Longer

Freezing food is one of the best ways to make it last longer, and it’s an easy concept for kids to understand. Freezers slow down the growth of bacteria, so food stays safe to eat for months instead of days.

What Can Be Frozen?

Teach your kids that certain foods, like bread, meat, fruits, and vegetables, freeze really well. Let them know that if you have too much of something to eat right away, freezing it is a smart way to save it for later.

Statistic: Freezing food can extend its shelf life by up to 3-6 months, significantly cutting down on food waste in households.

Labeling Frozen Foods

Just like with leftovers, labeling frozen food is important. Show your kids how to write the date on items before freezing them, so you know when they were stored.

This will help them understand that even though food can last a long time in the freezer, it’s still a good idea to keep track of how long it’s been there.

Make It a Family Activity

Get your kids involved in freezing food by letting them help package items in freezer-safe bags or containers.

Whether you’re freezing leftover soup or a batch of homemade muffins, they can help seal the bags and label them with the date. It’s an easy way for them to learn about food storage while spending quality time with you.

Keep the Fridge and Pantry Organised

Keeping your fridge and pantry organised is one of the simplest ways to avoid food waste. When everything has its place, it’s easier to see what you have, and you’re less likely to forget about food that might go bad.

Group Similar Items

Teach your kids to group similar items together in the fridge and pantry. For example, dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese should be stored in the same area, while snacks like crackers and chips can have their own section in the pantry.

By keeping things organized, you make it easier for everyone to find what they need and reduce the chances of food getting lost.

Statistic: Globally, 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions are linked to food that’s produced but not consumed. Reducing food waste at home can make a big difference for the planet.

Make it a Family Routine

Once a week, set aside time to organise the fridge and pantry with your kids. I usually do this right before I’m about to do another shop for the week. Let them help decide where things should go and make sure everything is easy to see.

This is also a good time to check for food that needs to be eaten soon, reinforcing the FIFO rule.

Family Challenge:This week, challenge your family to go 7 days without throwing away any food! Plan your meals around what’s already in your fridge or pantry, and see how much food you can save.

Teaching Kids the Value of Proper Food Storage

Teaching your kids how to store food properly is a simple yet powerful way to reduce food waste and help them develop habits that will serve them well into adulthood.

By involving your kids in everyday tasks like unpacking groceries, labelling leftovers, and organising the fridge, you’re giving them hands-on experience in managing food responsibly.

These small habits—whether it’s freezing extra food, practicing the “First In, First Out” rule, or keeping the kitchen organised—can make a big difference in keeping your food fresh and preventing waste.

And as your kids grow, they’ll carry these lessons with them, making smarter choices and helping to care for the environment.

Together, you can create a family routine that not only saves money and reduces waste but also strengthens your kids’ understanding of how to take care of the food you bring into your home.