RJ Heron
Sustainability Engagement Officer
5 minute read
Today is Stop Food Waste Day, so we’re sharing some top tips on how to make the most of your food, save money, and ultimately prevent unnecessary waste.
The freezer is your friend
Put together a meal plan every week and then batch-cook your meals and freeze portions to eat later, this can also save time and washing up, a win-win.
Freeze your leftovers and items that are nearing the use-by date. Or even freeze something as soon as you get it home, for example, if you’ll only be able to eat half a loaf of bread before the use-by date, freeze the other half and then defrost it as you need it.
When you’re freezing foods make sure to label them and use them up in date order to make sure your meals stay as fresh as possible.
Plan ahead and don’t overbuy
Get inventive and use up things you already have in the fridge, freezer or pantry. The Love Food Hate Waste website has some great resources, including an ingredient search where you can find out how best to store different items and also some recipe inspiration for things you may have lots of.
It’s easy to get carried away when doing the food shop, make sure to write out a shopping list based on your meal plan to make sure you don’t over-buy and end up with more than you need.
Get creative
Dig out that old cookbook and experiment with foods you already have at home and see if you can find some new favourites.
Try your hand at making meals out of leftovers, this useful site has some recipe ideas for inspiration.
DIY organic fertiliser
If there is certain waste you can’t avoid your plants will thank you for repurposing banana skins, egg shells, & coffee grounds into homemade fertiliser. Check out this link for a guide to repurposing your food waste.
Use by vs best before
Food packaging will always display either a use-by or best-before date. The use-by date tells us that the product is unsafe to eat, drink, or freeze after that date and must be thrown away.
However, a best-before date relates to food quality, meaning the food will be safe to eat after this date so long as it has been stored correctly.
Sensory cues are a good way of finding out if food is safe to eat, visually checking or smelling food is a good way to find out if it is safe to eat rather than simply throwing it away.
No matter how you reduce food waste this Stop Food Waste Day, do so with the knowledge you’re doing your bit to reduce the carbon footprint of your food.