Reduce Your Food Wastage

If you saved up every bit of food scrap and offcut, and saw the amount of food you threw out each week you would probably be very surprised at just how much of it there was. Food wastage is incredibly common and it is literally like throwing money away. So, if you are interested in saving money we have some great ideas to get you started. We would love to hear yours too.

One of the biggest areas to save money is with eliminating food wastage. Here are 10 ideas to get you started:

1. Double it: When you are making a meal that can be frozen, always double it to make an extra batch. Having good quality frozen meals or finger foods will save you money on impulse buys when you are running low on time.
2. Savory Muffins: The odd half a vegetable here and there will work perfectly in a batch of muffins – so never throw out half a carrot or onion. Our Pick ‘n’ mix savory muffins let you choose from the ingredients you have in the fridge.
3. Make Breadcrumbs: Using the crusts of your weekly bread loaves is a great way to make breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are versatile and we have heaps of great recipes that call for them.
4. Make a Sauce: So often I have bought a bunch of herbs only to use a few sprigs. Never throw out the rest of the bunch, make a simple basil pesto (freezes well), or use the extra half a tin of tomatoes to make some fresh tomato dipping sauce. Everything can be used for something.
5. Leftover Soup/Stock: Some of the tastiest soups and stocks I have made are from being creative with leftover veggies. This is perfect on a Sunday afternoon when clearing out the fridge for the following week.
6. Fridge Storage: Learn how to pack your fridge properly to retain nutrients and get longevity out of your food. Most fridge brands include a “how to pack” manual on their websites.
7. Tupperware: Many people throw food out because they have nowhere to store it and it just goes in the too-hard-basket. Have a Tupperware party, or look for cost effective ideas online. There are some great products that help keep you organized so you always have somewhere to store leftovers.
8. Pantry Staples: Keep your pantry stocked full of staples that you can use as a base to make fast meals. A perfectly stocked pantry will mean you are never caught out with nothing to eat. Flours and other baking basics, plus a few tins of tomato’s, tinned tuna, pulses, pasta, couscous rice, quinoa, dried herbs, and extra virgin olive oil are all perfect meal starters.
9. Herb Garden: Planting a lovely herb garden on the balcony or a full-blown veggie patch in the garden will be a great money saver and a wonderful activity for the kids (particularly the fussy eaters). You can easily spend $4 on a bunch of herbs at the supermarket, only to use a few sprigs, having the basic herbs in your garden is a simple and cost effective solution.
10. Organise your kitchen: It is amazing how enticing a clean kitchen is. Not only for cooking but also for general peace of mind and happiness. Seriously. Organise your kitchen, clean it from top to bottom, and clear the clutter. Seeing what you have, rotating use by dates and organizing waste into bin, recycling and compost is the perfect start to very minimal food wastage.