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The main reasons why we waste food are:
We cook too much food.
Food goes off before the use-by date due to poor storage.
We don’t check the cupboard or fridge before going shopping.
We’re not planning our meals wisely.
Read on to learn our best tips for avoiding these mistakes reducing your food waste!
Our top tips:
1. Buy bananas, tomatoes and avocados at different stages of ripeness so you have some for now and some for later.
2. Make use of leftovers the next day. Stir-fries and frittatas are a great way to use leftover veggies. Leftover baked vegetables, such as sweet potato and pumpkin, are good tossed through couscous or pasta.
3. To avoid wasting herbs, cook several dishes that include the same herb, or grow your own.
4. Freeze leftover stale bread and crusts until you have enough to make a large batch of breadcrumbs in the food processor. The crumbs can then be stored in 1 cup quantities in freezer bags until needed.
5. Leftover pieces of cheese can be frozen until you have enough to get out the food processor. Coarsely grate the cheeses and package in 1 cup quantities in freezer bags for use in sauces and on bakes. For most recipes, a mixture of cheeses can be used together.
6. Leftover cream can be frozen for use in sauces. Likewise, if you know you won’t get through the milk by the use-by date, decant it into a container, allowing a 2 cm head space for expansion, and freeze. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and shake well before using.
7. Chop leftover fruit before it over-ripens and freeze in containers. Add the chopped frozen fruit to the blender for smoothies and juices.
8. Put overripe bananas in the freezer until you have enough to make banana bread or muffins.
9. Freeze egg whites for pavlovas or egg yolks for custards separately in small tubs or ice trays.
10. Keep nuts and seeds in the freezer to keep them fresh.
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