Chef shares money-saving recipe to make the most of common produce: 'The stem is the best part'

You may just want to toss those broccoli stems away after using the florets, but before you do, a chef on TikTok has a delicious recipe for you to try out. 

Carleigh Bodrug (@plantyou) said, "Broccoli stems are actually one of the tastiest and most nutritious parts of the broccoli." 

@plantyou what to do with broccoli stems. 🥦 Original video @The CARTERS est 2001(Meia) #recipe #easyrecipe #simplerecipe #plantbased #healthy #healthyfood #zerowaste #plantbased #vegan #broccoli #easymeal #easyfood #simplerecipe #plantbaseddiet #veganlife #broccoli #recipes ♬ Strangers - Mt. Joy

So, grab those stems and try out her quick and easy recipe. 

The scoop

First, you'll start by peeling the outer part of the stem. Next, you'll cut them into spears. You'll put them in a wet almond milk and flour batter, followed by bread crumbs. 

Then, bake them for 15 minutes, and you have broccoli stem fries, which are perfect for dipping. 

How it's helping

You're getting more for your money when using more of the food you buy. While you may not think of those stems as leftovers, they can be considered that. And doing more with even 10% of your leftovers can save you $75 a year on groceries. 

While utilizing more of the food you purchase can save you money, it can also cut back on the alarming amount of food wasted each year. 

According to the Public Interest Research Group, "Roughly 35% of the United States' total food supply ends up as food waste each year."

The group added, "For every 10 pounds of food that is grown, harvested, processed, distributed, and then sold, more than three pounds ends up getting thrown away or discarded." 

That means one person wastes 1,000 pounds of food a year. 

What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste? Not buying food I don't need 🧐 Freezing my food before it goes bad 🧊 Using my leftovers more effectively 🍲 Composting my food scraps 🌱 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

This wasted food ends up in landfills, which are essentially enormous holes in the ground that lack oxygen. Compost Connect said microorganisms that thrive in this environment, like bacteria, will consume the food waste. As it does, it produces a potent gas called methane, which is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide for warming the planet. 

So, recipes like broccoli stem fries can not only make snack time more fun but also help eliminate some of this food waste. 

You could also try broccoli and blue cheese soup or make your zucchini muffins greener with broccoli stems. 

What everyone's saying

Some TikTokers actually love broccoli stems.

One user said, "The stem is the best part."

Another user had a unique way of using the stems: "I don't like celery much and have found that every recipe asking for celery can be replaced with broccoli stems."

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