More than two million of us have made changes to the way we shop,
prepare, store and use food. This is brilliant – but there is still a lot more
we all have to do. Love Food Hate Waste can help everyone take simple steps to
stop wasting food and save money as a result.
Do I really waste food?
57% of us claim not to waste food (or very little) but
in fact as a nation we are throwing away millions of tonnes of food and drink
from our homes every year, and most of this could have been eaten. And while one
in four of us think that the food we throw away doesn’t cost much, the fact is
that food waste is hitting us in the pocket – it currently costs the typical household
£480 a year.
If you really think you don’t waste food,
why not set yourself a small challenge? There are some very simple steps you
can take to ensure that you’re making the most of the food you buy.
The challenge!
First thing would be to look at what you are
wasting. Try keeping a food waste diary for a few days, or put all the food and
drink that you’d normally throw into the bin into a bucket or other container,
to see how much there is. Then follow the simple steps below and measure again
to see how much your waste has gone down!
Planning meals before heading out to do the shop
and writing (and sticking to!) a shopping list really can save you pounds on
your food bill. It only takes a few minutes to do, and there’s even a template meal planner on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com to get you started. Or, if you have a smartphone, you can do it using
our new app! And if you need inspiration for what to eat, we’ve got hundreds of
mouthwatering recipes online.
Once you’ve planned your meals, writing a list is
easy – here are our top tips to make it become second-nature:
- Keep a pad and pen
in the kitchen - when you’ve got through the last of your favourites such
as milk or cheese scribble it down on the list.
- Shopping for specific ingredients with meals in mind and taking a list helps ensure we use what we
buy.
- Buying foods that
can be used for several different dishes gives us flexibility to create
different meals.
- Look for food with
the longest use-by date or fresh foods which can be frozen in case you
don’t get round to eating them in time.
- Have a quick
rummage through the fridge, freezer and store cupboard once a week; it’ll
end those evening runs to the local late night shop for essentials.
Skilling up in the kitchen
If you’re not feeling all that
confident about your culinary capabilities, Love Food Hate Waste has a range of
videos to show
you how to cook some delicious, cheap meals from scratch! From an omelette to a
quick pizza, a stir fry to a shepherd’s pie and pancakes to fruit crumble,
there’s something for everyone. Don’t forget you can ask us questions via our website or Twitter
if you get stuck.
Perfect portions
Do you often find that you cook
way too much rice, pasta or potatoes? Getting
your portions right before you cook is one of the quickest and easiest ways to
cut your food waste. Our Perfect
Portion Tool removes the guesswork and makes sure you get the
perfect portion, every time. It’s available on the app, too!
If you do end up cooking too
much, don’t panic! There are countless fabulous recipes for using up these
ingredients. And did you know you can freeze
rice?
Share your successes!
There is nothing more satisfying
than experimenting with ingredients to create new recipes that you and your
family enjoy – and at the same time saving money! If you discover a tasty new
way to use up a particular piece of food – tell us on our Twitter and Facebook pages!
We’ll happily feature it on the website. Also, share your new kitchen
confidence with your friends and family – everyone loves learning new tips, trying
new recipes and finding interesting new ways to use up foods that they may
otherwise have been thrown away.
Try this for a couple of weeks and see how much you
can save on your food bills. A typical family would save £13 a week – how do
YOU compare?
Learn about the theory, principles and different techniques of compost toilets, the value of nutrient recycling and zero- waste systems. The workshop will include making a simple compost toilet for the community garden, giving you the skills to make one at home!!!
