Save Money And Cut Down On Food Waste With This Smart Shopping Tip

Picking that perfect pear or attractive apple you see at the grocery store and shunning foods with flaws may be wasting your money. Although pretty peaches and the like may be pleasing to the eye, there's a better option that'll help you save money while shopping: buy fruits and veggies that are considered "ugly." 

According to a 2023 report by ReFed, Americans waste a whopping 63 million tons of all of the food in the country — with some states producing more waste than others. Breaking it down further, perishables like fruits and vegetables account for more than a third of that total waste. This worrying statistic explains why you're so used to seeing perfect-looking produce at your store, especially considering that the USDA has very detailed grading standards that take note of every blemish, size difference, color pattern and mark that make a grocer want to reject the item. However, the truth is that, in a lot of cases, these rejected foods often have nothing wrong with them, and still hold the same nutritional value and taste as their "prettier" cousin. 

Plus, considering that the price of produce is expected to rise sooner than you may think due to tariffs, being more lenient about purchasing foods like a slightly off-looking avocado that the grocery store refuses to display may actually save you some money — as well as help you leave a smaller footprint on the planet.

If you're willing to give more "ugly foods" a try, you'll be happy to learn that there are a number of subscription companies that make it easy to buy imperfect-looking goods for potentially less money than the aesthetic grocery-store version. Not only that, but they're also instrumental in helping fight food waste at the same time. For example, Misfits Market is one service where you can get everything from the trimmings of dried fruit strips to bacon scraps and funny-looking produce that's still high-quality. Partnering with organic and regenerative farms that practice sustainable methods, the company claims they help rescue 500,000 pounds of food every week. 

Another subscription worth looking into is Imperfect Foods, which sells produce and packaged items that look off from the "norm." Better yet, the company claims that, by shopping on their website, the average customer saves 317 pounds of food from being wasted, along with enough water to take 697 showers.

Ugly produce is also one of the hidden gems to look out for at your local farmers market. Usually, local farms don't have to adhere to the same appearance standards that big grocers do. This ultimately means that you may find imperfect-looking produce that's still perfect in taste and quality, and costs less money than the grocery store at the same time.