Food waste prevention

In the UK it’s fair to say that we waste far too much food. Recent research suggests that we throw away a staggering third of the food that we buy. Not to mention the environmental impact, financially it is costing the typical household £50 a month! Furthermore its a double whammy because this waste then ends up costing all Council taxpayers money to dispose of.

With our busy lives it can be hard to shop wisely and prepare fresh food. However, by making just a few small changes you are likely to be able to reduce what goes in the bin and save your self money too. Here are some simple but effective top tips.

Get Acquainted with Your Freezer

A freezer is the answer to your prayers if you’re trying to cut down on waste and slim your shopping budget. Your freezer can keep loads of food that could have gone off. It’s often handy to freeze bread if you struggle to get through a whole loaf. Its great for toast and you can defrost it as and when you need it.

You can also freeze some fruits and vegetables, which is great as these are one of the main things we throw away. Freeze bananas if they are on the turn and they can still be used for baking, especially for banana bread. Frozen raspberries are great for having on hand to whip up a smoothie. Frozen vegetables will keep in the fridge for making soups.

If you’re cooking something like a bolognese sauce or curry and you cant eat it all then freeze it in portions. This will be very handy for nights when you can’t be bothered cooking and should save you a fortune on lunches and take aways.

Other things you might not be aware that you can freeze include cheese, milk and cream. Freeze single cream in ice cube trays and just drop it in the pan to make sauces creamy. You can even freeze leftover wine (if there is any!) for cooking sauces and gravy.

Perfect portions

One of the main reasons we throw away so much food in the UK is because we simply prepare too much in the first place. Learning to cook the correct amount can be easier if you measure your ingredients out. So for example when cooking rice use a mug to get the right quantity. As a rule of thumb a mug of rice is enough for 4 people. You can also invest in a good set of scales and weigh food if you want to be really accurate.

Plan Ahead

Shopping wisely is key to cutting down on your food waste. Writing a shopping list might seem a bit dull but it’s a surefire way to shop in an organised way. Write a meal plan for one or two weeks and then only buy the ingredients you need for those meals. You might end up getting a few extras and treats but so much less than if you just shop haphazardly.

Less Packaging

Packaging can help preserve the life of food but some is excessive and wasteful. If you try buying food with less packaging you can reduce packaging waste but it may also help reduce food waste. By buying loose foods such as fruit, meat and even rice and pasta you can buy just what you need, rather than having to buy a large pack that you’ll never get through.

Get Creative!

Using up the leftovers that you have can be a good way to come up with new recipes. For one night of the week have a “fridge clear out” meal. It might not sound too apetising but some families come up with their favourite new recipes that way! Try simple things like pasta sauces, soups, curries, casseroles and pies as an easy way to use up all sorts. If you look online many recipe sites let you search by ingredient so this is a good way to get inspiration.

For more information and advice visit the love food hate waste website via the link below.

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