The Tricks Eitan Bernath Uses To Waste Less Food When Cooking - Exclusive
As one of the most popular food influencers on social media, Eitan Bernath understands that a huge follower count comes with great responsibility. That's why he's using his platform — which reaches hundreds of millions of people — to take a lead in the fight against hunger and food insecurity around the world. He's now doing that in an official capacity as a High Level Supporter for the UN World Food Program, but Bernath has always made it a point to be vocal about the causes important to him and to be mindful of his values.
One of the many things he's learned as an advocate against food insecurity is that there are things every single person can do. A big part of that effort involves eliminating food waste, which the World Food Program says is one of the major root causes of global hunger. There are all kinds of tricks for cutting down on food waste when you're cooking at home, and Bernath has more than a few up his sleeve. You can sometimes see them in action on social media: He recently shared a trick for wasting less of your blended sauces in a video while making a Mexican beef stew recipe. And in an exclusive interview with Tasting Table, Bernath shared more of his go-to tactics for cutting back on food waste and being more sustainable in the kitchen.
Bernath fights food waste in lots of ways
Eitan Bernath will be the first to admit that "being conscious of food waste [is] a challenge in food media." But if he's figured out ways to be more mindful in the kitchen, then it's something we can all do. He says it starts with looking ahead as you meal plan and "making sure that the things that are going to expire first, you use first." This applies not only when making a meal plan based on the ingredients you have, but also when replenishing your bulk items. Bernath explained, "I have these big things of flour in the kitchen and it's tempting when they get low to refill it with flour, but then the flour in the bottom can stay for a while and go bad. I usually keep a lot of eggs in the house; I'm using the oldest one so that the freshest ones aren't being used first. Little things like that."
Freezing food and repurposing it before it can go bad is another way Bernath uses everything in his kitchen to the fullest. "Freezing foods is great," he said, especially for people who travel or have busy schedules. Another secret he likes to employ for produce on the brink of getting tossed is to make homemade stock with them. When he's got veggies on hand that he needs to use up, he roasts them and boils them down into a rich veggie stock that can be used in a variety of recipes.
Finally, Bernath says that when all else fails, "I always recommend to give people food." Sometimes a recipe just can't be cut down any further, or you wind up with more leftovers than you bargained for — such is the life of a food vlogger. And while not everything is eligible to be donated to food pantries, you can always give food to friends and family or others around you who may be in need.
Click here to learn more about the World Food Program and how you can join the fight to end hunger. See the latest from Eitan Bernath by following him on TikTok.