How to: stop wasting food
Gordon Brown has a point when he complains of the amount of food going to waste in this country. More than 4 million tonnes of perfectly good food is chucked out each year in the UK, and I don't need to lecture you on the starving children in famine-stricken parts, or refer to the sky-rocketing food prices worldwide, to point out how sorry a state of affairs this is.
So what can we do to get out of our wasteful habits? Here's a nice picture of some tasty bubble and squeak to get you in the mood for some lovely leftovers, and in the meantime, Follow the jump for some tips.
I'm certainly guilty as the next person of having eyes bigger than my stomach, and the busier you life is, the less likely you are to want to spend hours measuring out each week's lunch boxes into little tupperware jars. So what needs to change? Ideally, I'd like to see more supermarkets selling food in smaller units without charging silly amounts for them. Hands up anyone who hasn't bought a large (cheap) packet of bread when you fancied a slice or two of toast, then chucked the rest away? But if packaging doesn't change overnight, there are still ways you can reduce food waste without spending every waking hour thinking about food.
1. Grow your own
One obvious way to avoid food waste is not to take it out of the soil until you need it! So use whatever space you have to grow veggies -- even if it's just enough for a herb garden -- and you'll have a constant supply that won't go off in the fruit bowl.
2. Don't cook more than you need
Some foods (particularly rice, in my experience!) are difficult to measure out accurately, and it's easy to cook way too much. Love Food Hate Waste has a really useful tool here for getting portions right; it's also worth investing in a good pair of kitchen scales and a measuring jug if you don't have them already
3. Bone up on leftover recipes
As well as the classic bubble and squeak, there are loads of ways you can turn leftovers into a tasty meal. Visit leftover chef for loads of tips.
4. Take leftover food into work.
Even if you don't fancy re-visiting last night's supper scraps, as I've mentioned before, there will always be at least one hungry person in the office who'll appreciate them!
5. When dining out, don't over order!
Easier said than done I know...but in a restaurant, remember you can always order an extra side portion if you're still hungry halfway through the meal
6. make friend with your freezer! When you've had a couple of slices for toast, stick the rest of the loaf in the freezer and take out the slices as you need them. Plus, the fuller the freezer is, the more efficiently it runs!
Posted by: Jayne | July 7, 2008 2:05 PM