Around 88 million tonnes of food is wasted in the EU every year, but we can all take action by changing the way we shop, cook, and plan our meals to avoid wasting food, money, and resources.
1. Only buy what you need
It’s only a bargain if we can use the food in time!
‘Buy-one-get-one-free’ and other bulk deals lead to buying more than we need,
shifting the waste from the store to our home. In food waste terms, it’s wise
not to buy more than needed.
Simple ‘grandma’s’ tricks can help us stay focused when shopping
for food include.
·
Prepare a meal plan for the week.
·
Use a shopping list, noting the amounts required.
·
Factor in potential eating out occasions.
2. Understand ‘use
by’ vs ‘best before’ dates
The ‘use
by’ date on packaged food tell us when it is still safe to eat
the product. The use-by date is usually found on perishable foods such as
chilled meat, dairy, and ready-made meals. To avoid wasting food these should
be purchased when, and in the amount, necessary. It’s best not to stock up.
‘Best
before’ dates are more flexible than use by date. After this
date, foods such as dried beans, lentils, and pasta, can be consumed safely,
although their quality may have decreased (for example, changes in
flavour, colour, texture). Trusting our senses should be sufficient to detect
the quality of foods with these labels.
3. Use what you
have
Not-wasting is not that complicated!
·
Check what’s in the fridge and cupboards regularly and use up
foods nearing their expiry dates.
·
Rotate food stores when fresh groceries arrive, so that those with
nearer expiry dates are closer and visible.
·
Combine any vegetables left into a ‘clean-out-the-fridge’ pot of
pasta, soup, omelette, or stir fry. We get to enjoy a new recipe and avoid
throwing out good food.
·
Freeze food before its date. Frozen fruits can make a nice
addition to smoothies!
4. Avoid serving
too much
Here are some simple practices that help:
·
Serve small portions and come back for seconds, rather than
scraping excess food from our plates into the bin.
·
Use leftovers for lunch the next day.
· Freeze for later. For tastiest results, frozen leftovers should be used within three months (more on how to safely handle them here).
·
Not enough leftovers for a whole meal? Mix and match from
different meals, add some salad or bread, and a feast appears before us!
5. Know your
moulds
If mould appears, whether we can still ‘rescue’ the food depends
on what it is. The following general rules can help us know what to do.
Hard foods should be safe to consume
once the mouldy part is removed along with the surrounding area. This includes
hard cheeses, hard cured meats (such as salami and ham) and firm fruits and
vegetables (such as cabbages bell peppers, root vegetables).
Soft foods should be thrown out once
they start to mould. This includes cooked leftovers, soft cheeses, yoghurts and
other dairy products, bread, jams and soft fruits and veggies (such as
cucumbers, peaches, tomatoes, berries and so on). This
is because mould can spread in soft foods (and we might not even see it).
6. Share extra
food with others
If the food is still safe, our nature as social beings can play a
part in the solution.
·
Ask around, friends or colleagues could make use of what we won’t.
·
Check if there are food banks around that accept donations and
distribute them to people in need.
·
Invite neighbours over for a meal, it’s not only a nice way to
gain new friends.
7. Repurpose waste
where possible
Try to repurpose food scraps before they make it to the compost
bin. Broccoli stems can be chopped and cooked just as well as the florets, and
other scraps can be transformed into homemade stock!..
For what can’t be saved composting is a natural process where
microorganisms biodegrade food waste, turning it into a dark, earthy,
nutrient-rich material that promotes healthy soil.
·
Community composting and separate food waste bins are a step in
the right direction. We can check with our local government, to see what kind
of food waste collection is available.
·
Or we can feed our own garden! Compost is an
affordable organic alternative to purchased fertiliser, but it’s best
to stick to plant-based foods (as meat and animal products could lead to
undesired odours and pest visitors).
