​Cutting down on food waste

The amount of food that is wasted in the UK alone is shocking. Statistics show that the average household throws away around 7 million tonnes of food and drink each and every year.
When you consider this it really is no wonder our landfill sites are starting to fill up. Most of us think that not much can be done to cut down on food waste. But we believe that this really isn’t the case. In fact, there are small changes that households around the country can put in place.
In doing this, we can all do our part in making sure that our planet doesn’t become one large dumping ground.
But how? Here are our top tips for cutting down on our own food waste.

Make sure your fridge is your friend
When it comes to keeping food fresh, our fridge is the appliance that we turn to. However, you should always make sure that you are using your fridge properly. They should be kept between 0-5C to ensure that everything inside lasts as long as possible. There are also some foods that will keep better if popped outside the fridge rather than inside it. This includes bread, onions, potatoes and bananas.

Plan your meals
This isn’t only a food saving tip, but a money saving one too. Try to plan your meals in advance, perhaps at the beginning of each week. That way you know what you are having each day (cutting down on the need to just pop to the shop) and you can also use particular ingredients two days in a row. Making sure they don’t go off between meals.
You can also cook larger batches of food and freeze the leftover portions. This means that you have a tasty meal ready to cook on those days that you are slightly rushed!

Take care of your veggies
Vegetables are one of those foods that tend to go off quickly. That said, they are also a food that you don’t need to pay too much attention to the best before dates. Broccoli, celery and asparagus will stay  fresh much longer if you pop their stalks in water. Just like a 5 a day bouquet! Another option is to freeze those veggies that are close to their best. In doing this there is a chance that the texture may change. If this is the case for you, then you could use those frozen veggies for soups or sauces.

Look at your portions
One of the biggest reasons that people waste food is due to incorrect portion sizes. Not only is this great to cut down on food waste, but also to make sure that you are eating enough of the right foods. There are a number of guides online that you can look at for inspiration.

Feeling hungry after reading through these tips? Well, we hope that you are also motivated to make some changes and reduce the amount of food that you throw away. Not only will it save you money, but it will also ensure that those already jam packed landfills are a little less full!