Food Waste

Entertaining without Food Waste

There will be many opportunities in the next few months to entertain your family and friends with events like Halloween and Christmas (yes, you heard us right!) In the coming months, there will be many opportunities to entertain family and friends with events such as Halloween and Christmas (yes, we said it!) It can be fun to entertain, but it can also be stressful when you prepare food in larger quantities than usual.

  • According to a recent study, cooking too much or serving too much food are the two most common reasons Irish people give for food waste.
  • And 76% of people only occasionally/rarely/or never measure out ingredients for each person.

You’ll feel more organised if you follow our top tips on how to reduce food waste during, before and after your event.

General entertainment tips

before

  1. Write down your menu for entertaining. This is the easiest way to prevent buying or preparing excessive food. Spend some time thinking about the best food to serve your guests.
  2. Plan for the number of guests you expect. It can be difficult to predict exactly how many people will attend, but you should encourage them to tell you.
  3. Plan portions plan food portions according to the number of guests that you expect. You can measure ingredients by counting (e.g. You can measure ingredients by count (e.g.
  4. Choose a small menu. This will allow you to offer fewer options and still have something that everyone can eat.
  5. Limit the amount of perishable food you use. Consider foods that can be frozen or stored in a cupboard to be eaten later. Avoid foods such as cheeses and dips that spoil faster when left out.
  6. Ask guests to bring their favourite dish.
  7. Plan Your ShopThe best way to ensure you only buy the things you need is by planning your shop. You can use a list or a telephone note, whatever you prefer. You can avoid panic shopping at the supermarket and bringing home more than you need!

during

  1. Let guests serve themselves – instead of plating individual meals, place food in serving dishes so that people can help themselves and take what they like.
  2. Don’t serve all the food at once in a buffet. Instead, wait to see how it goes and then add more food only if necessary.

After

  1. Store Leftovers—As soon as the leftovers cool down, put them in clear containers and put them in the refrigerator so that you can see what you’ve got.
  2. Plan to use leftovers – Use leftovers as a basis for another meal or for lunch the next day. You will save time and money by doing this!
  3. Tell guests that they can bring a “goodie bag” home if you do not want to keep the food for yourself. Consider giving guests old takeaway containers.
  4. Freeze Leftovers—If you can’t finish the food in time, freeze it. Many foods can also be frozen for later use.
  5. Label leftovers. Remember to label so that you know exactly what you are putting in and when. You can find out how long it takes to freeze food in our A-Z Food Guide. Don’t forget to use your frozen foods!

Halloween Tricks

  1. Are you carving pumpkins for Halloween? Use the pumpkin flesh to make tasty soups, pies, wedges, or pasta sauce. See these pumpkin recipes to get some inspiration!
  2. You can use leftover Halloween treats to bake. For example, you could make chocolate chip cookies and candy-coated apple slices.

Share your best tips for entertaining with minimal waste:

Do you have any other tips for reducing food waste when entertaining? Please share your tips with us! Use the hashtag #StopFoodWaste to share your top tips on social media.

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