Can you imagine throwing money in the bin? Would you be shocked or annoyed at the thought? That is exactly what we are doing unknowingly for years in the form of food waste. We are all guilty of wasting food and we often feel frustrated when we bin that forgotten apple from the rear of the refrigerated or wilted spinach in the bag and wonder what we can do to minimise if not avoid food waste altogether. Food waste is one of the biggest issues around the world. Globally one third of all the food produced is wasted each year which is more than billion tonn and the statistics are only increasing. Not only it affects the economy but also the environment hence, we cannot afford to ignore it as it will not only affect us but our future generations as well. Food that goes waste is not only a waste of money but it is also a waste of time, energy and resources as well and we must ensure we take every step to minimize it.
The pandemic and economic crunch as well as increasing energy prices means that we need to be even more aware of the spending and be mindful about it. Increasing food prices as well as cost of living means we need to be aware about how we spend our pennies and make mindful strategies to reduce the bill and still enjoy a healthy lifestyle and get balanced nutrition.
Food goes waste for various reasons and there are a number of ways to prevent any food going in the bin. In this article, I am going to focus on the root cause of why food goes waste and make the readers mindful about it and provide some suggestions to tackle the problem. I was also guilty of wasting food and wondered why is it happening and what can I do to practically reduce it and after brainstorming and practically implementing the strategies I realised that there are some basic issues in the outlook and mindset that we need to address in order to implement the strategies and in this article, I have tried to address each one of them.
There are a number of reasons that the food goes to waste and depending on that the solutions are given.
- Lack of planning. We are all guilty of going to the supermarket without a list and buying impulsively as we think that “we have a mental list” which may be very different from the actual list. In a supermarket, we can get easily distracted by loads of products as well as offers and impulsively buy more than what we need or forget to buy what we absolutely need and rush back to buy again which results in waste of not only money but also time and energy.
Solution: Make a list. There are a number of ways we can make a list. Learning how to make a perfect list is the key to success. First step: write down all the things that you need in your day to life and write it down on a big piece of paper. Start with listing things in 3 categories.
- Weekly grocery list. Fresh fruits and vegetables along with eggs, milk and bread are in this category that you have to buy on a weekly basis. You can add your own list based on your lifestyle and dietary needs etc.
- Long term grocery list. Pastas, rice, flours of your preference, lentils, spices and condiments are in this list. Most products in this have a long shelf life and last long and you do not have to go to shop for them often. Once stored well, they last for months or even years depending on the products. Buying in bulk and storing them properly saves loads of money and avoids last minute rush to the shop. Emergency shopping is one of the biggest reasons for stress.
- Special grocery list. In this category grocery that you need to go to specialized places comes in this list. For example: exotic products or imported goods, special spices or ingredients that you cannot find in local supermarkets. Health food also comes in this category if you have special dietary needs.
Once you have made the list, you can then plan the time and day that is most convenient to you and that way, you can do all the shopping in one trip and avoid the rush.
2. Buying food first and then making a meal plan.
Many of us first buy the food and then make a meal plan. This way we often end up buying more and then struggle to finish the produce.
Solution: If we make a meal plan first and then buy the ingredients we have a better picture of what we need and exactly how much. For example; if the entire family is having oats for breakfast, it is easier to plan the portion size and then calculate how much is needed for entire month and then look for the offers or if one is cooking fresh breakfast of eggs and toasts, it is then easier to buy exact amount of eggs per week per person and avoid waste. Similarly one can make a meal plan for dinner and buy items accordingly. Once we have exact meals and ingredients needed for the meals, it is then easier to shop as we have a clear picture of what is needed and how much.
3. Buying more than needed. We buy more food thinking that it might save us some time but we actually end up wasting the excess food and binning hard earned money in the bin. This is crucial for items which have shorter shelf life. It is known that the common type of food waste is fresh vegetables and salads because they have a shorter shelf life and before you can use it up, they start to lose freshness. If we have a meal plan in place and have a clear picture in mind about the quantity, this problem can easily be tackled.
4. Lack of Energy. Mostly, we waste food due to lack of energy. Some vegetables have shorter shelf life. Keeping a tab on such food makes it easy to use and reduce food waste but lack of energy can sometimes interfere in our way and we end up throwing things in the bin because it is past the best before date.
Solution: Again it comes down to planning. Once we planned and purchased our groceries it is important to now make a menu and first use things with shorter shelf life and prevent it from going to the bin. We can make a menu using all the things that we purchased and then stick it on the wall or fridge and follow it through the week.
5. Lack of knowledge about storing the ingredients. Many times we buy the ingredients but do not know how to store them. We don’t know which ingredients go in which part of the fridge, whether it can be stored in the freezer in case the fridge is full, such little things can make a huge impact on overall food wastage. Cheese, bread and nuts can easily be stored in the freezer to increase shelf life. The same goes for herbs and certain spices, dry milk powder and even milk.
Solution: Learn how to store the ingredients to prevent them from going in the bin. Use available resources to gain knowledge. Even friends and family members are great in sharing the tips.
6. Lack of knowledge about using the ingredient. Many times we buy some exotic ingredients which can be quite expensive and we do not know how to use them. Imported spices, health foods, spice mixes which are specific for certain recipes are generally examples in this category. Once we use it in a particular recipe we run short on ideas and then completely forget about them only to discover they passed their expiry dates.
Solution: First gather all the information about the product before youbuyit. If you want to try a new ingredient make sure you have plenty of recipes before you buy so that you don’t get stuck once you tried one recipe and throw away the rest of the ingredient because it got hidden in the back of the cupboard while you were wondering how to use it up. Search up numerous recipes of that special ingredient and put it in your food planner.
7. Lack of knowledge about managing the excess ingredients.
Sometimes we don’t know how to manage the ingredients. Fruits which have passed the best before dates but are still edible can be put in the smoothies or tossed in cakes or in pancake batters. Salads and vegetables which have lost their freshness but are still ok to eat can be turned into delicious nutritious soups. Odd leftover pasta shapes can be put together to make pasta soups or can be hidden in lasagne in rich sauces. Same goes for odd pieces of vegetables. They can be easily put together as mixed veg dishes, stir fry, soups, stews, broth, vegetable stock or stuffed in the bread and turned into sandwiches. Berries, which are probably the most delicate and have the shortest shelf life, can be frozen and kept in the freezer to be used later to extend the shelf life and avoid going to waste. You can pickle vegetables or dry them in a food dehydrator to extend its life and make your money go further. If the food has already past the best before dates and became stale, you can make compost and feed the garden.
Bottom line:
We all waste food from time to time and sometimes it takes a bit of mindfulness and effort to reduce it. Aim to reduce food waste one day at a time and build up. Make sure that the food is edible and safe to eat and discard any food that smells odd, has mould or that looks slimy or the texture does not feel right. Keep in mind all the food allergies and gut health and make a decision based on all the factors.
Parul Rana 