Matt Holloway on Food Waste, Grocery Habits, and Using What You Buy

What’s your take on the connection between food waste and how people shop or cook at home?

I think people shop aspirationally but cook defensively. We see produce on sale or freshly in season, we impulsively grab it with big plans to center a meal around it. We buy like the person we wish we were. Sadly the produce wastes away in our fridge while we air fry pizza. Our interest dissipates as ingredients look imperfect over time before we ultimately decide to discard it. Literal money down the drain. I think household food waste is the most common and solvable problem we all face.

Why do you think so many people intend to cook more but end up throwing ingredients away?

Intention to cook has replaced actual cooking. Our phones are filled with recipes and videos of something that looked great at the time and maybe we even bought one of the ingredients. But convenience and marketing ultimately win out and we’re air frying pizza instead of braising those leeks in the fridge. We buy produce like it’s a gym membership and when we don’t use it, we lose it.

What are some realistic ways people can stretch their groceries further without overcomplicating things?

Use what you buy.

You don’t need more ingredients, you need more mileage. Cucumbers, carrots, herbs — keep it simple and flexible. The best cooks aren’t the ones with the most ingredients. They’re the ones who waste the least.

And give yourself more time. Most produce spoils because the environment is off. That’s where something like Ambrosia bags really helps. They keep things in a better balance, so you’re not racing the clock to use everything before it goes bad.