We live in a world where a lot of people do not get enough food to eat and so we should make as much of an effort as possible to avoid wasting food. At a very young age, children are taught to feel guilty about wasting food, and for good reason. Globally, the amount of food wasted every year can easily feed almost a billion people. By consciously saving food, we can help ensure that there is enough for everyone, thereby enabling other people to live healthier, happier lives.
Shop smartly
Before you shop for groceries, take a moment to plan out your meals and make your shopping list accordingly. This way you will be able to avoid buying things on impulse and buy things that you actually need instead, making them much less likely to go to waste. Make sure that the perishable items you already have get over before buying new ones.
Store food well
Make sure that you store food well, so that it does not go bad, get insects in it or develop mould or fungus. Keep fruits, vegetables and other perishable items in the fridge, and use airtight containers for food that is being kept outside. Your food cabinet should be cool and dry, since food tends to go bad faster in wet and warm conditions.
Use older items first
FIFO is an organisational method that stands for ‘First In, First Out.’ It makes a lot of sense when it comes to food, because it means that you should first use up the items that you bought earlier and then the ones that you bought later. One way to do this is to move all the older groceries to the front of the fridge or cabinet, so that they are more prominently visible. Otherwise, if they are lurking at the back you might forget about them.
Understand expiry dates
Nowadays, all store-bought items list an expiry date for the product, however these are not necessarily accurate. Manufacturers tend to mention the date till when the product is at its best, however the food does not necessarily go bad by that date. Before throwing something, check if it still looks and smells all right, and if it does, it is probably okay to use.
Use all parts of the food items
When you are cooking, try to use up all the parts of the vegetables that you have. For example, do not peel vegetables like potatoes; just make sure you clean the skin thoroughly. With vegetables that have stems like coriander and broccoli, you can use the stems in your food as well. They do not taste bad and stems and skins have their own nutritional benefits.
Scrape the bowl
When you cook, make sure you use a spatula to scrape the bowl when you transfer food from one vessel to another. This is a handy tip for when you are following a recipe especially, because recipes call for exact proportions. By making sure that you get all of it out, you will ensure that there is no imbalance in the recipe. Otherwise, if you are making a cake for example, and you do not scrape the bowl when you mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones, the wet ingredients will be lesser than the required proportion and the cake will be too dry.
Use up scraps of food
If there are parts of vegetables of meat that you cannot use, you can use them up in other ways. Making broth is one option, whereby you boil the vegetables and/or meat in water with salt and some spices, strain it and use the liquid as a base for soups, sauces and gravies.
Don't throw away imperfect food
Sometimes produce like fruits and vegetables come with bruises and imperfections. Unless the entire thing is rotten, you can cut away the bad parts and use the rest of it rather than throwing it away. If you don’t want to eat the fruit plain you can hide it away in a juice or smoothie, and vegetables get disguised when they are cooked.
Consider alternate recipes
If you have bought ingredients for one recipe and you don’t end up making it, consider alternate options to use up those ingredients. Do a little research online or ask cooking enthusiasts for suggestions. There are plenty of ways to use up ingredients and you will certainly find another recipe that is to your taste.
Serve small portions
When you serve yourself or your family, serve smaller portions rather than larger ones. If you take a large portion you may not be able to finish all of it and so whatever is left will go to waste. Start out with smaller servings instead – you can always take more if you are still hungry.
Share food
If you have made too much food for your household, consider sharing some with your friends or neighbours. This will not only save you from having to eat the same food for multiple meals, it will also earn you some goodwill. Your friends or neighbours may choose to reciprocate and send you dishes of their own, giving you a change from the usual food in your own home.
Use leftovers
Do not throw away food that did not get consumed at meal time. Keep it in the fridge and reuse it at the next meal or take it in a lunchbox with you to work. If you have a lot of leftovers remaining, do not cook food for one meal, eat all the leftovers instead.
Keep an eye on the trash
As strange as this sounds, keep an eye on the garbage that’s being thrown out of your house every day. You will get an idea of what food is being wasted and so you will know which items are not popular with your family and which ones expire before you use them. This way you will know which items not to buy.
Donate food
If you have either cooked food or raw ingredients that nobody in your household is eating, you can donate them to people who might eat it. There are several people who do not get even one square meal a day, and any leftovers that you can give them would be much appreciated.
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