Tips For Not Wasting Food

After getting a food recycling bin over a year ago, I have become so much more aware of how much food we waste. I like to think I’m pretty good at saving money and meal planning but I have had to rethink my approach. Here are some tips I’ve come up with along the way, to reduce the amount of food that we basically just throw away.

• Your Freezer is Your Friend
  • I think frozen food gets a bit of a bad rep for not being that good for you but that isn’t always the case. Frozen meat, fish and vegetables, are frozen shortly after being caught / picked so all the goodness is kept in. With frozen food you can then use what you need and the rest stays frozen, ready for next time.
  • Freeze your leftovers or fresh fruit or veg that is going off soon and won’t be eaten in time. Things like fresh soup freezes really well too.
  • I also try to portion things up in freezer bags too, so then when I’m defrosting, we will only use what we need so nothing is wasted. I do this all the time with the nut milks I make at home.
• Make a Plan
  • This is essential. I can’t understand when people go to the supermarket without a shopping list! I have to have mine, otherwise I waste money and food. Only buy what you plan to make and work around things that you already have in your cupboards / freezer when you plan your meals.
• Stock up!
  • From carrot tops and celery stubs to chicken bones, all of these ‘scraps’ can be saved for soup stock pot and more. Then they can be, you guessed it, popped in a freezer bag and frozen in portions.
• Omelettes & Smoothies
  • Things like omelettes and smoothies are brilliant for using odds and ends from the fridge or fruit bowl. If you’ve got a lot needing to be eaten and it won’t freeze too well (like eggs), then whip up an omelette for lunch with that random spring onion, half a pepper and tomato that is in the fridge.
• Portion Control
  • If you really think about the amount will actually eat (particularly useful with children as they can waste a lot of food), and only cook that amount. If you want seconds later then get them but if you make too much and no one eats it, it will most likely just get thrown in the bin.

I’m also sharing my favourite recipe for using up some veg that you might have in the fridge. They may not look like much but they are tasty, low sugar and a good way to get children eat vegetables and they won’t even know it.

Rebecca x

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*This is my entry to AO #WastelessJourney competition.