UK households waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year. By being clever with our menu choices for the week, savvy storage ideas and using up leftovers, the average family of four can save £60 a month (or £720 a year) by reducing the amount of food they throw away. As Winter sets in and the cost-of-living crisis worsens, these top tips to save food waste and money could be just what we need.
Plan meals in advance and get creative with using up ingredients; On the BBC's Good Food website you can search by ingredients to select a recipe and lovefoodhatewaste.com have leftover food recipes. Portion control is a good way to reduce food waste and your waistline; using a portion planner will help you cook just the right amount of food. Britons throw away almost half a million tonnes of fresh vegetables and salad and a quarter of a million tonnes of fresh fruit a year; buy what you need and look to buy fruit and vegetables loose.
Your fridge temperature should be below 5c as this will keep your food fresher for longer; putting open packets whether its cheese or a pot of coleslaw in an airtight container, will help it last longer. If you’re not ready to eat your leftovers or not able to eat your food by its ’use by date’, put it in the freezer to eat at a later date. Best Before dates are a recommendation and products can be eaten past the date, just have a look at the product or take a sniff test before eating.
Melanie Nurse, Sussex Green Living