6 ways to reduce food waste
Up to 30% of the food we buy is wasted, at an estimated national cost of over $5 billion a year. However, there are many ways you can reduce your food waste, and it starts just by being aware of your habits both in the kitchen and while shopping for food. Change can easily happen just by putting conscious effort into everyday actions to live a more sustainable life.
1. Use up leftovers
Instead of throwing out half heads of broccoli or cauliflower, or binning half a capsicum, turn them into soups, sauté them for a side dish or chop or shred them into salads. Save any vegetable peelings and trimmings to make stock. Onion ends, carrot and potato peelings – anything goes when it comes to stock. Freeze it in usable portions for easy use in meals. Also think about repurposing leftovers i.e. plan for the leftover roast chicken to become tomorrow night’s casserole or stir-fry.
2. Be creative
Got some sad, ugly looking apples? Make apple sauce. Squishy tomatoes? Tomato sauce. Just because some produce was forgotten in your fridge a few extra days doesn’t mean that it needs to be thrown away. Many fruits and vegetables that you mightn’t want to eat whole are still fine for juicing, smoothies or can be frozen for future use.
3. Store it properly
Fresh herbs and delicate lettuces last longer if removed from the original packaging, washed, dried and stored in resealable plastic bags. Some fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, oranges, potatoes, onions and garlic, are best stored at room temperature instead of in the refrigerator. Meat, fish and plenty of leftovers can also be frozen for later use. Use proper airtight containers for most things including grains and flours to help optimise shelf life.
4. Compost
Whether you have a compost at home for your garden or a kitchen waste Insinkerator system, not throwing perished food into the garbage will keep it out of landfill and reduce the environmental consequences of food waste. Composting is also a natural way of returning nutrients to the soil if you have a garden at home.
5. Make lists and meal plans
Don’t go overboard on the organisation here, but do think ahead before doing big grocery shops. Think of what you’ll make during the week so that you have the right ingredients in quantities that won’t go to waste. And when the ingredients in your home don’t make an obvious meal, revert back to number two, and try to be creative and flexible in what you eat. You can find a recipe online to use up just about anything. Sticking to your shopping list will also reduce impulse buys.
6. Keep an eye on your use by dates
Cut down on waste by not letting food go out of date. Be conscious that “use-by” is a food safety guide and literally means don’t eat after the end of the “use-by date”, but “best before” is a quality guide and you may still use it after the “best before date” as long as the item isn’t not damaged, deteriorated or perished.
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