Have you ever stared at the leftover scraps of a celery stalk and wondered if there was anything you could do with those pesky leaves? Fortunately, one sustainability expert might have the perfect solution for you.  

The scoop

Biologist and TikToker Ashley Diedenhofen (@sciencebyashley) has built a sizable following by creating videos about reducing food waste, minimizing plastic use, and other environmental solutions. 

To teach her followers about ways to prevent celery from going to waste, she created a short clip demonstrating how easy it is to make your very own celery salt. And it might be simpler than you think.  

@sciencebyashley Spot the rogue celery stalk #reducefoodwaste #howtoreducefoodwaste #celerysalt #sustainabilitytips #foodwaste ♬ original sound - Ashley Diedenhofen 𓇼

Ashley revealed that by placing celery leaves in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes, you can make low-effort celery salt that will prevent food waste and stretch your money further. 

"It's as easy as baking the leaves for a few minutes," noted the TikToker. 

Afterward, toss the dried leaves into a blender or food processor with a touch of salt. Then, use or store the celery salt any way you want.  

How it's helping

According to a report by Feeding America, around 92 billion pounds of food are wasted in the United States every year. That equates to about 145 billion meals. Altogether, this waste is worth nearly $500 billion annually.  

To make matters worse, food waste is responsible for 8% of carbon pollution around the globe. 

Decomposing food waste in landfills produces methane, a potent gas that has been noted to have a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide. That can be a major factor in the steadily rising global temperature. 

By practicing food sustainability, we can help minimize negative environmental impacts by reducing pollution, conserving resources, and protecting vulnerable ecosystems affected by changing climate patterns. 

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.

As seen in the original post, using produce in its entirety can significantly contribute to a healthier and cooler planet while ensuring a more resilient food supply for the future.

What everyone's saying

In the comments section, many users appreciated the simple and useful hack. Others offered up their own advice. 

"Wonderful advice and great instructions," proclaimed one user. 

A second commenter shared their go-to solution to prevent celery waste. "Celery tops are my favorite in tuna salad," they wrote. 

"I use the leaves too. I hate seeing people throw them away," admitted another user. "Excellent for soups and stews. I dehydrate to make my celery salt, but this is an excellent option for people without a dehydrator."

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