The Fancy Snack You Can Make From Leftover Bread Crust

Using ingenious food hacks isn't just a way to look trendy on TikTok, they're also a big part of helping to cut down on food waste — a considerable problem in the U.S. In fact, the USDA released stark figures estimating food waste to equate to 133 billion pounds — or 31% of all food produced. In terms of cold, hard cash, that wasted food could be worth $161 billion.

A sizable portion of that wastage is bread items, which (including rolls, croissants, and other bread-related baked items) make up over 12.5 million tons of thrown-out food every year, according to BakeryandSnacks.

It can't be right that in a time when we can build enormous cities filled with skyscrapers and pack the universe with fancy flying gadgetry we can't make a real impact to tackle bread wastage. There are some really important reasons to crack down on binning bread, and a particularly quick, easy, and cost-effective way of making your bread go further has been revealed.

Rather than chucking unwanted bread into the trash, there's a very simple method of transforming it into a tasty snack. Bread crusts can be mixed with olive oil, grated cheese, and thyme before being baked to create breadsticks, details Food Network. Alternatively, if you're looking for a cheap accompaniment to a simple Caesar salad, the baked bread crusts can be chopped into pieces to become croutons.

There are some big benefits from being innovative with bread. As well as being a great way to make the most of grocery store expenditure, reusing bread crusts helps to protect the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 81% of unwanted food ends up in a landfill or is incinerated, so anything done to avoid waste is useful in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

If breadsticks or croutons aren't your favorites, there are other ways to use up unloved bread. Even stale bread can be used to help your finances and the planet, with French toast, bread pudding, and breadcrumbs all being viable options.