How to waste less food in the kitchen
Our country faces its fair share of drought and hunger. But this doesn’t stop South Africans from wasting a lot of food. In fact, a third of all food in South Africa is never consumed. It ends up at dumps, affected both our economy and environment.
Do you find yourself throwing out leftovers, old fruits and vegetables and uneaten dessert? Food prices have increased dramatically over the last few years. Even though we spend so much on food, most of us waste it. With 10 million tonnes of food going to waste every year, we need to do our part to reduce waste. Here are a few tips to help you waste less food in the kitchen.
Shop smartly
How much food do you really need? While you may want to buy in bulk to save money, if the food you buy perishes quickly, you may end up buying too much and wasting it. Rather evaluate how much food you and your family need and buy accordingly. Buy your fresh food daily or weekly to prevent it from expiring or rotting.
Store your food effectively
If you do want to buy extra fresh food, find effective ways to store it, such as freezing, making preserves or cooking and then freezing. Freezing food keeps it fresh for a long time. You can buy freezer bags and containers to store meat, fruit, vegetables or any other foods in the freezer.
Plan your meals properly
When it comes to shopping, planning your meals can go a long way in preventing waste as you can shop for ingredients you will use and avoid buying foods you don’t need for the next few days.
Use leftovers wisely
You can repurpose food by turning leftovers into different meals. For example, if you have a roast chicken for dinner, you can use the leftover chicken to make a chicken salad or sandwich for lunch the next day.
Use your blender
Use your blender to make smoothies, sauces and soups from fruits and vegetables that may go bad soon. This way you can make nutritious snacks and meals quickly and prevent wastage at the same time.
Prepare extra servings of food
By cooking extra servings of food, you can freeze an entire meal for nights you don’t really feel like cooking or work lunches. This way, you will use more of the same ingredients at the same time, which will minimise waste.
You may also want to read: Challenge: Reduce waste to save the environment and money
If you have a sweet tooth, take a look at our South African golden crunchie recipe.
