Food Waste is a HUGE issue. Australians throw out the equivalent of 1 in every 5 bags of groceries they buy. That’s a lot of money going in the bin. Food waste fills up landfill, creating greenhouse gases which are bad for the environment. Fighting food waste is EASY. By making a few simple changes you can save money and help save the planet. For more info see the Foodwise website.
Reducing your food waste starts before you go to the shops. Plan your meals around what you already have in the pantry, fridge and freezer. Make a list of what you need and stick to it.
By storing food correctly, it will last longer, cutting down on waste.
There are lots of websites that show you how to store different foods – see the Oz Harvest website.
A ‘use-by’ date is put on food that may become unsafe if stored for too long, like fresh meat and milk. Don’t eat anything that is past its ‘use-by’ date.
Food with a ‘best-before‘ date is still safe to eat after the recorded date as long as it is not damaged or has not ‘gone off’ such as growing mould or starting to smell. A ‘best-before’ date is a guideline and indicates that the food may lose some quality after this date. So, don’t throw food out just because its past its best-before date. For more information see the NSW Food Authority website.
Plenty of recipes can take your bruised, wilted and wrinkled fruit and veg and transform them into something delicious. Here are some great ways to use up things that have been sitting in the fridge or fruit bowl for a while.
Remember to clean our your vegie crisper and fruit bowl regularly! Use the search button on our website to find recipes.
Often we have leftovers from last night’s meal. Instead of throwing them out:
Buy ‘Odd Bunch’, ‘I’m Perfect’ or ‘Imperfect Picks’ to help reduce food waste. These fruits and vegetables are delicious and nutritious but have grown a little misshapen – like crooked carrots or curved cucumbers. Choosing these can save you money as well as help the environment.
Learn more about what foods can be frozen. You can freeze things like bread, cooked rice and pasta, grated cheese and milk. It’s safe to freeze food right up to the use-by date. Defrost in the fridge when you want to use it. Freeze leftovers in single serves for a quick and easy meal. Search our website for recipes tagged “easy to freeze”.
Some of the most common things found in the bottom of the crisper are wilted or soggy spring onions and herbs such as parsley, coriander and basil. This is because they are sold as bunches but recipes only need a small amount.
You can regrow the roots of spring onions and herbs in jars of water and then plant them in the garden or in pots. Once you have an established plant, you can pick what you need to add fresh flavor to recipes.
Using these tips to reduce your food waste will save you money, time and our planet!
For more ideas, check out our saving waste tips in our recipes.
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