Giving Compass' Take:

• Experts provide tips on how to curb food waste during COVID-19. Suggestions range from tracking what you waste to understanding food labels.  

• What are you doing to reduce food waste in your daily life? 

• Read about food waste happening in the broader food system due to COVID-19.

By now, you've probably seen photos of people panic buying groceries and shelves laid bare. In mid-March, you might have even been one of these panic buyers; I certainly was. But weeks later, as pounds of beans and rice lay unused on shelves, many of us may be thinking "what am I going to do with all this food?"

Panic-buying, like the type that can occur during a pandemic, can prompt people to purchase perishable items that they aren't able to consume before they go bad, which can ultimately lead to food waste, says Brian Lipinski, a researcher on food waste at the World Resources Institute.

With than in mind, it's time to rethink your food habits. The pandemic provides good opportunity to make the most of our food since we want to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store, says Lipinski. Limiting trips to potentially crowded places like the grocery store can help minimize the spread of coronavirus and reduce food waste.

Mashable spoke with experts to get tips on how we can all put our food to better use.

  • Track what you waste Tracking exactly what you throw in the trash and rinse down the sink will help you realize what kind of food and how much of it you waste, says Beth Gingold, the founder of Recycle Leaders LLC, which works with organizations to help them recycle and reduce their waste (including food).
  • Lists, lists, and more lists Before you head to the grocery store, do an inventory of what food you have and try and cook something with it," suggests Bonneau.
  • Understand food labels Food date labels can be really confusing for consumers, as there are a ton of different phrases that all mean something different.

Read the full article about how to curb food waste by Siobhan Neela-Stock at Mashable.