When it comes to reducing waste, we can all take a little inspiration from our almond trees. They help clean the air and at the end of their lives we use them to create alternative energy or to improve the quality of our soil. Nothing goes to waste. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the world’s general attitude to food. In the UK alone the amount of edible food thrown out has risen to 7.3 million tonnes, and half of that food comes from our homes*.
So to help everyone be a bit more like our almond trees, we’ve come up with a few small changes that will make a big difference in reducing food waste. Take a look at these!
Don’t overbuy
Make a shopping list and stick to it. That means planning ahead and shopping withspecific meals in mind. Keep track of what you’ve bought and used and try to make the most of your leftovers. If you like to buy in bulk, try and buy things that will keep like long life milk instead of chilled.
Use your fridge wisely
The temperature of your fridge should be between 0-5 degrees celsius. Food, like milk, will go off much quicker if it’s warmer. There are also foods that will keep better out of the fridge and should be kept in cool dark place like your cupboard. These foods include bread, bananas, pineapples, potatoes and onions.
Love your freezer
If you have more time on the weekends, it’s good to try and batch-cook. Not only will you have more time during your weekday evenings but you’ll also be able to freeze what’s leftover and save on food waste. If you’ve made something like pasta or rice with a sauce, freeze the sauce separately. Freezing fruit and vegetables is an option too. Just remember that some fruits lose their texture when frozen, but you can get around this by freezing them pureed or stewed.
Get composting
Compositing reduces the amount of food waste you throw out and you get a free fertiliser too. There are lots of things from your kitchen and garden waste you can use for compost including uncooked vegetable scraps, fruit peelings, teabags, coffee grounds eggshells and even small amounts of paper and cardboard.
Want to find out more about how to cut your food waste? We found loads of helpful information at Love Food Hate Waste – including inspiring leftover food recipes.
Information from Goodness+ is not intended to be used for medical purposes or as a substitute for professional medical or health advice.