This National Food Waste Action week we want to share some of our top tips with you for reducing food waste at home!
Freeze, freeze, freeze!
Freezing food is a great way to reduce food waste. By freezing food, you can extend the shelf life of many foods, allowing you to enjoy them for a longer period of time. Freezing also helps preserve the nutritional content of food, meaning that you can still get the same nutrients from the food even if it has been stored longer!
Some of our favourite things to freeze are…
Stocks and sauces – pop them into an ice cube tray
Grapes – they make a lovely icy treat
Cooked pasta – none of us ever know how much pasta to make so put your leftovers in a bag and enjoy another day
Flour – storing flour in the freezer makes it last much longer
Make a weekly menu and plan ahead
Planning ahead can not only helps cut down on food waste but also can reduce your weekly spending on food.
Using cookbooks and online resources is a great way to make sure you are eating a varied diet and can help you to plan your shopping list in advance.
Get creative and ‘Ready Steady Cook’ your meals
Whether you’re a foodie or just like to experiment in the kitchen, making a meal ‘ready steady cook’ style is a great way to reduce food waste. Our volunteers have no idea what ingredients they will be cooking with until they arrive at FoodCycle, and they then work as a team to come up with creative, nutritious meals.
With a good stock of dried foods like rice, pasta, and lentils, you can get creative with your dishes and utilise all those leftovers in your fridge. Yes, even that 2-week old carrot hiding at the back!
Want a bit of practice? Volunteer with us at your local FoodCycle!
Have your own tips and tricks for how to reduce food waste at home? Head over to our Instagram page now to share them with us!
