Big over-sized food portions and fussy kids mean that the average
family is binning a third of a ton of wasted food each year, a new study
has found!
To help families cut their food waste, slim their bins and also try and
save some money, here’s some easy ways that your family can try and cut
food waste:
Check the cupboards: So many families will go out and
buy fresh food without checking the fridge or freezer. Make time to
write down absolutely everything you have in cupboards/freezers and
stick it on the fridge – be creative and try and use these up before
buying more!
Menu Plan: Once you know what food is in your cupboards write a weekly meal plan each week – with a list of the extras you need to buy.
Stick to your list: Don’t be tempted by offers or
pester power and try to stick to your list! Also don’t shop when you’re
hungry and if you have the luxury of shopping without the kids then do
it!
Recycle leftovers: Instead of throwing everything
away, use up extra meals or ingredients for packed lunches or tomorrow’s
menu. Extra veg from a roast can go into a soup, extra rice can be
fried for a stir fry or stale bread can be made into croutons for
example.
Love your freezer: Foods that go off quickly like
fruits or bread can be frozen so you can only take out a few slices to
defrost when you need them. Cook big batches of meals too and take them
out each morning ready for that night’s meal.
Use every last bit: The perfect way to use up last
bits of wine or fruit juices is to pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
You can then add a bit of lemon juice or a cube of red wine into a stock
or sauce.
Use smaller portions: A bit of a no-brainer, but
putting one less spoon on everyone’s plate will make a difference. You
can either let everyone help themselves for seconds or recycle
leftovers, but eventually if you’re cooking and eating less you’ll be
buying less.
Keep a food waste diary: Keep a list on the fridge of
what food you’ve thrown away and why. Eventually you’ll see patterns and
can change your shopping habits. It will also make you think twice
about throwing things away if you have to admit to it!
I think it is shocking how much food people waste. I know people who will not touch leftovers and those go straight into the bin. Horrifying! We waste very little food, I usually make 6 servings, one each for Larry and I, 1.75 for each of the teenage boys and an extra (half) serving for Larry to take for his lunch the next day. I often cook big on a Sunday and that's the start of meals for most of the rest of the week. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteWe've started to menu plan too - and apart from reducing waste, which was why we did it, it has saved us a considerable amount of money on our food bill too x
ReplyDelete