5 tips to avoid food waste
1 de April, 2020
Managing a family’s diet is not an easy task: you have to please both Greeks and Trojans, it’s essential to guarantee food diversity, ensure that the next day’s meals are prepared in addition to dinner, and have a very creative capacity so that you don’t end up cooking the same dishes over and over again. All this management must also be done in complete harmony with the rest of our daily routines, guaranteeing compliance with the family budget.
Here are some tips to help you optimize your consumption and avoid food waste.
1. Having an organized pantry should be the starting point
Organization is the key to saving money. At all levels, it plays an essential role in household management. If you know what you have at home, you’ll shop smarter and avoid unnecessary spending.
That’s why the first thing you need to keep in mind is to tidy up your pantry and fridge. When it comes to the pantry, organize food by shelf and according to its use, for example, flours, sugars and seeds (ingredients used for cakes or breakfasts) together in one place. You could divide carbohydrates in another place, near sauces or spices; snacks all together in a handy place. The main thing is to find a method that allows you to keep track of what you’re running out of and to keep ingredients from the same family, or for certain cuisines, together.
Another essential aspect that you should bear in mind is not to have several packages of the same product open, i.e. buy airtight containers to add the leftover rice that is no longer enough for a meal. Also, pay close attention to the shelf life of products to avoid throwing food away. Once a month, for example at the end of the month, take a look in the pantry and see what’s expired or what’s almost gone so you can improvise some recipes to avoid wasting food.
As far as the fridge is concerned, keep everything organized (on the top shelves the most sensitive products, such as aromatic herbs or charcuterie, on the lower shelves those that need to be kept colder), avoid the temptation to store leftovers unless they are in appropriate packaging, to prevent the spread of smells and bacteria, and properly packaged, cooked products last longer.
2. Write down what’s missing from the pantry throughout the month (or week)
Having everything organized will make it much easier to manage. Keep a sheet of paper and a pen on the fridge door to keep a shopping list as you run out of products, and do the same in the pantry. There are also some apps that can help you manage your shopping list, such as ‘Out of Milk’. An application that allows you to create your shopping lists, organize them by items and categories, and have them available online.
In addition, this app allows you to make an inventory of what you have at home, so you know exactly the quantities and products you have at home and don’t need to buy.
3. Planning the week’s meals is a good Sunday exercise
This can be the most difficult task, especially for those who don’t have a particular taste for cooking. In any case, it’s worth making the effort. Looking in the fridge and freezer to see what you have available to cook for the coming week is a good exercise to avoid buying takeaway on that late day.
Think about the 5 days of the week, count how many meals you’ll have to make (don’t forget the lunchboxes), and know exactly what you’re going to eat each day. This way, you’ll be able to use up the products you have at home, as you’ll know exactly what you have available and what you want to cook, avoiding getting home and having to defrost food in a hurry.
You can also use Meal Prep to design the week’s menu and prepare all or part of it in a single day. This way, you’ll have more time for yourself during the week.
4. Use leftovers to make original recipes
Always cook extra, it may seem wasteful, but it’s not! By overcooking, you’re saving money because you’ll always have food left over for lunch the next day. Leftovers, as long as they are well packaged, will keep well in the fridge. Then you just have to be creative, you can simply heat it up in the microwave, or make it into something else.
For example, if you have leftover roast beef, if you chop it up you can make a pie that will be good for the whole family, or you can make a meat pie that, accompanied by a salad, will make an excellent packed lunch.
5. Complement with frozen and canned foods
Another very important tip, which can help a lot to avoid food waste and save some money on meals, is to have some pre-made or frozen products. For example, having a frozen bag of cooked vegetables and potatoes is a great idea for a pressure-cooker meal, such as a Russian salad.
Cooking large quantities is a saving mechanism – if you cook large quantities and then freeze them, you’re saving ingredients and precious time. Complement frozen foods with canned goods, such as beans, grains and tuna. You can make quick, cheap meals with good ingredients.
Of course, all of this may seem much more difficult than it is, after all, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, organizing family meals can easily slip into the background. But remember, to eat well is to grow well and moments at the table are fundamental to family well-being. And of course, being disciplined, planning and organizing a household’s meals can mean significant net monthly savings.
Take advantage of your meal card to manage your spending both on meals out and on your supermarket purchases. It will be an excellent ally!