Studies have shown Australians alone discard 20 per cent of the food they purchase.
It’s like getting five home five gigantic bags of food and then immediately dumping one straight in the bin. One out of five. Let’s be real, that’s A LOT.
Luckily we have found six simple methods to eliminate food waste and no, that does not mean hoarding carrot peelings in your refrigerator for the salad you’re probably never going to make.
1. Inspect your fridge
No one really wastes food on purpose but sometimes we do and don’t even realize until it’s too late.
Make a mental list of what all you already have in the fridge so that you end up buying what you really need and not everything that catches your attention.
This will not help you save food but also your hard-earned money.
2. Plan, plan, plan!
Be aware of what is already lying around in the kitchen and what you require.
If you are unsure about who is going to be available during the week, then skip buying food for them or ask them to inform you in advance.
Knowing how many people will be eating and what they want to eat will help you figure out the amount of food you really need.
3. Stick to your list
Yes, you planned ahead and made a cutesy grocery list but got sucked into the temptation of buying fancy items.
Supermarkets are designed in a way to attract customers to increase sales. Resist the urge of buying food items you don’t need and filling your fridge to its bursting point.
The mentality of stocking the fridge because “you might need” that extra dip when you’ve already got 15 similar dips needs to change.
You must also learn to avoid supermarket specials as it leads to a lot of food wastage. You often end up buying way more than you need and in the end, it all ends up in the trash.
4. Understand food labels
A lot of individuals don’t understand the difference between “use by” and “best before” dates.
They misinterpret the information and often throw away food that was perfectly edible. “Use before” dates signify that the food item must be consumed before the mentioned date for health and safety reasons to avoid any health or safety risks.
On the other hand, “Best before” dates signify that you can still consume the food item post that even though it would’ve lost some of its quality.
They are still fit for human consumption and will not cause any health or safety risks if consumed after the mentioned date.
5. Learn how to store food
Did you know fruits and vegetables last for two weeks longer if you store them in your fridge?
And storing potatoes in a cardboard box or a paper bag and storing them in a dark humid place can increase their shelf life?
You can also put your freezer to work by storing food that is going to expire soon because a freezer acts as a pause button.
You can continue to use these food items for a longer period of time.
6. Love your leftovers
Made too much lunch? Have the leftover for dinner. You can even make your own changes to it and invent new dishes!
This incredibly simple change can save a huge amount of food. Be grateful for your meals because there are millions who don’t have any.
Related Article: How donating a portion of your sales will benefit your organization.
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