Home cook shares money-saving trick using old food scraps: 'This is awesome'

One Redditor shared their genius tip for minimizing food waste and saving money by making healthy dog treats.

The scoop

The next time you have leftovers, think twice before tossing them in the trash. Instead, save your dog-safe food scraps and make pet treats. 

The original poster mixed food scraps with ground oats, a little bit of water, and some peanut butter. 

Some dog-safe food items include carrots, apples, blueberries, cucumbers, and unseasoned, boiled chicken, per Medical News Today. If you have any of these going spare, add them to your mixture.

The OP also recommended mixing the ingredients until they turn into a thick consistency. Then, you simply bake them in the oven until they harden. 

"They aren't pretty but they last forever and my pups love them!" they said.

How it's helping

This dog treat hack can help pet owners save money. Caring for a pet can be quite expensive, so making homemade dog treats is a great way to reduce costs while keeping your furry friend well-nourished. 

This hack also encourages a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing food waste, which is a global problem. A United Nations report found that in 2022 alone, the world generated 1.05 billion tons of food waste. It's a staggering amount, and most of it probably ended up in landfills, where it would have contributed to the production of planet-warming gases. 

By minimizing your household's food waste with simple tips and tricks, you can help combat food waste and rising global temperatures. 

What everyone's saying

Redditors were impressed and eager to try it out for their own dogs. 

What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste? Saving money 💰 Helping the planet 🌎 Not being a wasteful person 😇 I don't think about reducing food waste 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"This is fantastic," responded one user. "Not only zero waste but you know what your dog is eating too! Nicely done."

"Dog triscuits," another Redditor wrote. 

"This is awesome!" commented one user. "To anyone else thinking of doing it, remember that peanut butter with xylitol isn't a good choice for dogs!"

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