So, we all know that a great deal of the food produced is wasted (about 50 % of the worldwide production). We also know that we, as consumers, are part of this waste of resources. But did you know that an average family could save up to 500 Euros if they made better use of food at home?
The average household throws away the equivalent of one month worth of food each year. (This proportion is the same in countries such as Sweden or the UK. So, my good fellow Europeans, we´re in this together!)
Here are five simple tips to help you reduce your food waste … and stop wasting your money:
1. Make a shopping list
Before shopping, have a look in your kitchen cupboard and consider what you really need. Make a shopping list and stick to it when you go shopping! Also, it’s best to avoid going to the grocery store when you’re hungry – you’ll always end up with more than you can actually eat!
2. Store food properly
Are your fridge and freezer at the right temperatures?
Do you store your vegetables the right way (e.g. tomatoes and bananas should be stored separately since they emit ethylene gas that ripens other fruits and vegetable quicker)
Do you place the more recent items purchased at the back of the fridge’s shelves, and the soon-to-expire ones at the front?
Learn more on how to store your food properly in the infographic below!
Storing food the right way in your fridge and freezer. Image source: http://mondaymorningcookingclub.com.au
3. Use the best-before-date as a recommendation
Many food producers put a “best-before”-date on their products. This date doesn’t mean that you have to throw the products away as soon as the date has expired. Products such as apples, eggs, cereal and bread can be eaten weeks, or sometimes months, after the expiration date, especially if stored properly. Use your common sense; smell and taste to determine whether you can use these products anyway.
4. Empty before re-stocking
A friend of mine challenged her family to empty the freezer content, before re-stocking. Each dinner had to consist of one ingredient, or more, from the freezer. This way even the most well hidden products in the freezer came to use, before getting too old.
5. Prepare meals with what you have at home
Soups, pasta sauces, stews and casseroles are great for improvising throwing in those ingredients that soon will expire.
Do you need more inspiration on what to make with the ingredients you have at home? IngredientMatcher is here to help! IngredientMatcher will find easy and delicious recipes that you can make with the ingredients you have at home.
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