Avoiding food waste is important for both the environment and your finances. All those leftovers you throw away just end up overflowing landfills and then you have to spend more money on replacing that food (that you will probably end up throwing away again). Let's work together to reduce this and the first step on this journey is knowing how best to do so.

Tips and tricks on reducing food waste

1. Meal planning - First things first, plan those meals! If you come up with a weekly or biweekly food plan, you will then know exactly how much of everything you need to buy each week. This will seriously reduce overspending on ingredients that will just go out of date and end up in the bin. You can rotate your food plan as well so you don't end up eating the same meals each week. All you got to do is take a little time out at the start of the week (or whenever you do your food shop) to write up a meal plan and you will see results instantly.
2. Food storage and preservation - So say you've started meal planning and now you find yourself making portions that can be eaten on multiple days. How do you keep that food fresh and edible? You have to make sealed containers, cling film and tinfoil your new best friends! Storing away meals and ingredients properly will increase their shelf life by a huge amount. Keep them chilled or even freeze some meals/ingredients if you know you won't be able to eat/use them for a long period of time.
3. What to do with leftovers - Anything leftover can be potentially used in your next meal. Even bits and scraps from vegetables you've chopped up when cooking (such as garlic or onion skin) can be used to create seasoning or stock. So don't let them go to waste and start to get in the mind frame that potentially anything you cook with could be used again or turned into something new. 
4. Creative cooking - So you might find yourself in a situation where you're left with a random assortment of ingredients at the end of the week, with no idea what to do with them. This is when you've got to get creative! Combine with your flatmate's leftover ingredients, experiment with new recipes, and you'll save money, reduce waste, and enjoy some tasty surprises. There are even cool apps like SuperCook that can help you come up with awesome recipes based on what's in your cupboard.

So let's work together to save food, money, and the environment by enjoying delicious meals. Bon appétit! 🍽️♻️