Most households know they waste some food but cannot name the biggest source. A one-week audit replaces guesses with a short list of patterns. It is not about weighing every onion skin forever. It is a temporary exercise that shows whether the real problem is shopping, storage, portions, leftovers, or unavoidable scraps.
Pick a normal week
Avoid a holiday or unusual event. Tell everyone what you are measuring and place a sheet of paper beside the food-scrap container. The audit should be simple enough that people keep participating after day one.
Use four practical categories
- Food that spoiled before it was used
- Cooked food or leftovers that were not eaten
- Plate waste from portions that were too large
- Unavoidable scraps such as peels, pits, and coffee grounds
Add a short reason when it is obvious: forgotten, bought too much, disliked, or misunderstood the date label.
Measure consistently
A kitchen scale gives comparable results, but volume works too. Use the same bowl each day and record how full it is. Photographing the daily total can help when several people share the task. Exclude packaging.
Review the top three patterns
Total each category and circle repeated foods. Choose the two or three changes that would prevent the most edible waste, such as buying less produce, labeling leftovers, serving smaller portions, or freezing bread.
Test one change at a time
Create an eat-first shelf, plan one leftover meal, or shorten the shopping list. Repeat the audit briefly a month later. If the target declines, keep the habit. If it does not, use the new evidence to adjust.
Compost what remains unavoidable
Prevention is the priority for edible food. Composting or digestion is the useful route for material that cannot be eaten. Read our guide to reducing kitchen food waste, then use food-scrap collection for the remainder.