Food waste is a huge problem. Australians waste the equivalent of one in five bags of groceries. This is a lot of money that goes into the trash. Food waste can fill landfills, causing greenhouse gases that are harmful to the environment. It is EASY to fight food waste. You can save money by making simple changes. Visit the Foodwise site for more information.
1. Buy only what you need
Reduce food waste before you shop. Plan your meals based on what you have in the fridge, pantry and freezer. List everything you need, and then stick to that list.
2. How to store your food properly
Food that is stored correctly will last longer and reduce waste.
- Make sure your refrigerator is set below 5 degrees.
- Make sure your freezer is set to -18 degrees.
- Store meat and poultry on the lower shelves of the fridge and fruits and vegetables in the vegetable drawers.
- Store bread in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Foods that are past their expiration dates can be frozen.
- Open food packets in the pantry and store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
Oz Harvest has a number of websites where you can learn how to store food.
3. Use by and Best Before dates are different.
Foods that can become unfit for consumption if they are stored too long, like milk and fresh meat, have a ‘use-by date’. Do not eat food that has passed its “use-by” date.
As long as the food is not damaged, or if it hasn’t ‘gone bad’ (such as smelling or growing mould), then you can eat it after its ‘best before’ date. The ‘best before’ date is only a guideline that indicates the food will lose quality after the date. Don’t toss food just because it has passed its best-before date. Visit the NSW Food Authority’s website for more information.
4. Do not throw out old fruit and vegetables
Many recipes can transform your bruised, wrinkled and wilted fruit and vegetables into something tasty. Here are some ways to make the most of things that have been in your fridge or fruit bowl.
- Make a pasta sauce with overripe tomatoes.
- Grate older zucchini to make these corn and zucchini fritters.
- Chop carrots softly and add to fried rice.
- Make muffins, banana loaf, and pikelets delicious, sweet, and healthy using overripe bananas.
Clean your fruit and vegetable bowls regularly. Our site’s search function provides many recipes.
5. Enjoy those leftovers
We often have leftovers from the meal we ate last night. You can recycle them instead of throwing away the leftovers.
- You can freeze leftovers to use for another meal.
- You don’t need to cook every night. Pack it for lunch or have dinner the next night.
- Use leftover salad to make a sandwich, wrap or other dish.
- Add leftover roast poultry to soups, fried rice, or mini chicken quiches.
- Use leftover roasted vegetables in a couscous or rice salad.
- You can freeze leftover cooked rice or make fried rice with it.
- Breadcrumbs can be made from bread crusts, stale bread or bread crumbs. Freeze for later use.
6. Fruit and vegetables of odd shapes are delicious!
To reduce food waste, buy ‘I’m Perfect’, ‘Odd Bunch’ or ‘Imperfect Picks’. They are still delicious and nutritious, but they may have grown slightly misshapen. For example, crooked cucumbers or carrots. These fruits and vegetables are not only good for the environment but can also save you money.
7. You can use your freezer
Find out what foods you can freeze. You can freeze milk, cheese, rice, and cooked pasta. You can freeze food up until the expiration date. You can defrost the food in the refrigerator when you are ready to use it. Save leftovers as single servings for an easy and quick meal. You can find recipes that are “easy to freeze” on our website.
8. You can grow your own.
The bottom of your crisper is often a collection of wilted spring onions and herbs like parsley, basil and coriander. The reason for this is that they are usually sold in bunches, but only a small amount of them is needed.
In jars filled with water, you can re-grow spring onions and other herbs. Then plant them in your garden or pots. Once the plant is established, you can choose what you want to use to flavour your recipes.
These tips will help you save money, time, and the planet by reducing food waste.
Check out our recipes for more tips on how to reduce waste.
