Tips to help you minimise food wastage
Portion control is something I advocate for people who want to manage their weight. However, portion control has a lot to do with minimising food wastage. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
For example, excess bread can be made into croutons for soup, overripe tomatoes can be made into sundried tomatoes relishes or paste and vegetable scraps can be made into stock.
Overripe avocado can be made into guacamole.
Store fruits and vegetables well so they stay fresh longer inside or outside your refrigerator. Freeze, preserve, or dry surplus fruits and veggeis instead of throwing them away.
Portion control is something I advocate for people who want to manage their weight. However, portion control has a lot to do with minimising food wastage.
This is because we all waste food in very different and diverse ways and it is our individual responsibility to take note of how we waste food so that we can put an end to this habit.
In fact, food waste is something we should all try to minimise, if only to make the ever-tight family budget stretch a little further. Think about how you manage your food from start to finish. From planning of your meals, to shopping for the food, to how you store and cook it.
The two main reasons we waste food is because we buy too much or prepared too much, or we just forget to use it on time. Another form of food wastage is putting too much food on the plate which we cannot finish.
Quick tips to minimise food wastage.
1. Portion control: When you control the amount on your plate, you control the amount in the garbage. Make it a habit to start with a small serving and get seconds or thirds if you want them. There is nothing embarassing about going for refilling your plate.
2. Make new recipes out of your left over dinner (of course of food that has not been eaten). Many hotels are good at this as it minimises on wastage and they are also very creative with recipes. For example you can transform grilled chicken, steak or veggies into sandwiches or stew for the next meal.
3. Always buy just what you need.
If you need only half a melon, fish fillet, piece of cheese or loaf of fresh bread buy only the quantity you need. Make a meal plan before you shop based on what you have in your fridge and pantry. Buying in bulk will only be beneficial if you are able to use the food before it goes bad.
For example, excess bread can be made into croutons for soup, overripe tomatoes can be made into sundried tomatoes relishes or paste and vegetable scraps can be made into stock.
Overripe avocado can be made into guacamole.
Store fruits and vegetables well so they stay fresh longer inside or outside your refrigerator. Freeze, preserve, or dry surplus fruits and veggeis instead of throwing them away.
