Wonky veg are awesome

Here at Protect the Planet we are dedicated to a variety of eco friendly choices. This could be energy saving, sustainable materials or perhaps reducing landfill volumes. One thing that we really want to do is to make sure that food wastage is reduced.

We are entering an interesting period of time here in the UK. Not only are there people up and down the country that cannot afford to feed themselves and their families, but there is also a huge problem of food wastage too.

Food wastage in Britain is rather shocking. In fact, it is thought that as much as one third of all the food that is bough tin Britain then will go to waste.

That is down to us, as consumers. But there is also a much larger amount of food wastage that is happening within supermarkets, before the food even reaches the shelves.

One area that this is occurring is within fruit and vegetables.

The quest for the perfect carrot

As people, we are all guilty of shopping with our eyes. Particularly when it comes to fresh produce. We will take a look down an aisle to see what veggies and fruit are in stock and we will often look out for the biggest, the best looking and the most perfect choice. The trouble is, that this is having a knock on effect with crop harvesting and farming.

Supermarkets know that the perfect vegetable is the one that is going to sell, which is why they ask the farmers and growers to only send them their best. Anything else is rejected and this wonky veg as it has become known is then destined for landfill. Wasted.

The rise of the wonky veg

Over time this has become a huge problem. There have been calls for these suppliers to donate their less than perfect veg to food banks or charities. Which of course, is a fantastic idea. However, there is another great idea that can really help. This comes in the form of wonky veg.

Wonky veg is veg that isn’t quite up to the normal standards that a supermarket would be looking for. It may be bent, buckled and curled around. But that doesn’t impact on the taste. Some supermarkets have got on board this idea and have brought out boxes of wonky veg. These are offered not only at a lower price, which could appeal to those shoppers that have a lower income, but also reduces the amount of veg that is wasted.

This solves 2 problems with one solution!

Want to try out growing your very own wonky veg? You might be surprised by just how easy it is to grow your own veggies, and how awesome it feels when you get the chance to harvest them for the first time.

Why not take a look at the Protect the Planet veggie garden range and see if there is something that you like the look of?