Stretching Food, Sharing Warmth: Creative Winter Practices for a Zero-Waste Season

As the first real snow settles in, something shifts in our kitchens. We slow down a little. We take stock. We remember what’s in the freezer, what’s tucked into the bottom of the pantry, and what’s been waiting patiently in the crisper drawer. Winter, in so many ways, invites us into a different rhythm—one that our Elders have always known. A rhythm that honours every part of the harvest.

People often ask me, How can I help? How can I support the London Food Coalition beyond a donation or a volunteer shift? The truth is, there are so many ways to be part of the journey toward food prosperity. One of the simplest is practicing mindful, creative, zero-waste habits at home. When we use more of what we already have, we not only honour the food itself—we honour the land that grew it, the workers who harvested it, and the community that shares it.

Here are a few winter-friendly ideas to help stretch your food, your imagination, and your impact.

Let the vegetables shine

Winter invites us to look at root vegetables differently. They’re hearty, flexible, and full of hidden possibilities. Beet greens, carrot tops, onion skins, sweet potato peels—these scraps hold more flavour than we think. Instead of discarding them, freeze them in a bag until you have enough to simmer into a rich, colourful broth. Even beet pulp from juicing or grating can become the base of burgers, fritters, or baked additions. It’s not about the recipe—it’s about the mindset: every piece of food still holds possibility.

Small-batch freezer preserves

When you have a handful of berries starting to soften, a few apples looking tired, or that last cup of rhubarb you froze in June, turn it into a tiny batch of freezer jam or compote. These small “rescues” don’t take much time and create something beautiful you can enjoy later in the season. It’s a simple act of slowing down and honouring what we have.

Leftover bread becomes winter comfort

Stale bread makes extraordinary stuffing, croutons, breadcrumbs, savoury bread puddings, and surprisingly flavourful binders in veggie patties or meatballs. What might have been tossed becomes the backbone of comfort food. Throughout history—and across Indigenous food traditions—bread has always been something to use fully, respectfully, and gratefully.

Sweet potato magic

Sweet potatoes are winter’s quiet heroes. Roast them once, use them three ways: blended into a nourishing base for soups; mashed into pancakes or waffles; or folded into doughs to add moisture and richness. Even their skins, rubbed with a little oil and roasted until crisp, make a simple snack or crumble topping. Again, it’s about seeing what else something can become.

Food gifts with heart

Since this is the season of giving, think about creating food-based gifts that help reduce waste while spreading warmth.

Some ideas:

• Dried soup blends in jars using beans, lentils, dried herbs, and a note of encouragement.

• Herb salts or flavoured sugars made from excess herbs, citrus zests, or vanilla pods.

• Pickled odds and ends from the final vegetables in your drawer.

• Mini jars of apple butter or freezer jam made from fruit you saved throughout the year.
  

These gifts honour the spirit of the season without purchasing anything new—and they carry a story: that abundance grows when we share what we have.

How to help the LFC this winter

Your home food practices do more than reduce waste—they contribute to a larger movement. Every time you stretch a meal, save a scrap, or transform leftovers, you’re participating in the same values the LFC lives by: collect, connect, nourish.

If you want to go even further, here’s how you can support our work during the giving season:

• Financial gifts—large or small—help keep our refrigerated truck running and our food hub thriving.

• Volunteer with us, sorting, loading, organizing, or helping onsite at the Hub.

• Connect us with local growers, bakeries, caterers, wholesalers, or businesses with surplus food.

• Recommend our coalition to service providers, community agencies, or faith groups who could benefit from rescued food.

• Share our message by practicing zero-waste habits at home and encouraging others to do the same.
  

When we all participate—even in small ways—our city grows more generous, more sustainable, and more nourished. Winter reminds us that warmth comes not just from heat, but from care. From community. From the everyday acts of giving that ripple outward.

Thank you for helping us move closer to a zero-waste future—one mindful meal, one rescued vegetable, one generous heart at a time.