Feeling inspired by the Earthshot Prize and wondering “How can we reduce food waste?” Here are some top tips on how to reduce your food waste and make the most of your food.
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Shockingly, a third of all food produced globally is wasted. As the food industry generates 25-30% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, this is having a huge impact on the environment.
In the UK alone, households are throwing away 7 million tonnes of food every year – enough to fill 40 million wheelie bins or 100 Royal Albert Halls.
So it’s no surprise why the first-ever Earthshot Prize celebrated the City of Milan for its innovative Food Waste Hub that distributes food that would otherwise end up in landfills to those in need.
If you’re feeling inspired by the award winners and are wondering “How can we reduce food waste?”, let us show you how to reduce food waste today.
Thankfully there are lots of easy changes you can make today to reduce food waste and save money at the same time!
1. Learn how to store food correctly
Only put things in the fridge that actually need to go in. Items like potatoes do not need to be in there, so store those in a dark, dry place somewhere else.
The fridge can make some food go off faster, such as bread which will keep fresher for longer outside of the fridge.
Check out our food storage guide and learn how to keep produce fresh and boost its nutritional benefits.
2. Freeze food to keep it fresher for longer
Freezers are like a time capsule for fresh food. It is like pressing the pause button, locking in nutrients and preserving taste, especially when it comes to fruit and veg.
If you have got some fruit and it is about to go bad, put it in a container and into the freezer in a container and they will be perfect for a delicious smoothie another day.
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3. Wrap up herbs and salad
A great tip to keep herbs fresher for longer is to wrap them in slightly damp kitchen towel before you pop them in the fridge.
You can also line your veg drawers with paper towels which will absorb the moisture and condensation from the vegetables you store in your fridge, keeping them fresher for longer.
But remember to change these with every food shop!
4. Blitz your bread into breadcrumbs
Bread is a British staple and we have been making it for thousands of years, but research suggests that it is the number one most wasted food in the UK.
Instead of putting stale bread in the bin, cut it up into chunks to use another time as croutons. Alternatively, you could whizz it up into breadcrumbs and pop them in the freezer.
You can use breadcrumbs on the top of mac and cheese, a crumb coating for tofu nuggets or to add texture to tomato pasta sauce.
5. Save some for later and try batch cooking
Portioning up food and freezing it is a lifesaver for those days you come home and just need something quick. If you’re cooking something like a curry or stew simply make double the amount!
If you freeze it thin and flat it will freeze really quickly, and defrost really quickly, too.
More articles to help you reduce food waste:
6. Pickle your vegetables
Make your own pickled vegetables with any random bits of crunchy veg like carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumber.
Simply put it in a jar with some vinegar, salt, sugar and water and you’ve got a brilliant pickle.
You can add herbs, mustard seeds and whatever else you like to change up the flavour too.
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7. Freeze herbs to make flavour bombs
A great tip to make your fresh herbs last longer is to freeze them before they go to waste.
Chop them, pop them in an ice cube tray with a little bit of oil, and whack them in the freezer. That way you can then use them whenever you need a bit of extra flavour.
8. Chill your chillies
If you catch chillies before they lose their freshness, or even when they’re slightly past their best, you guessed it, you can freeze them.
Then, when you want to add a little heat, you just grate it into a dish whilst cooking, or even over the top of a curry.
Stop! Don’t throw your food scraps away – learn how to regrow them today!
