Ways to reduce food waste
Growing concerns about sustainability have brought more calls for homes to reduce waste. There’s a lot of information out there about how to live more sustainably and truthfully, it can be terribly overwhelming. So much so, the term “eco-anxiety” has been coined; something author Heather White discusses in detail in her book, “60 Days to a Greener Life”.
The aim of this article is not to create more sustainability overload and stress in your life, but to inspire you in leading a more low-waste lifestyle. That starts at home and in particular, in the kitchen. Even the smallest changes can have a positive impact in the long run. Individual action drives culture change and every household can be part of that. It involves living your life with more intention, and sure you’ll have to make decisions like not having as much stuff, but this can have a knock-on effect not only on the environment, but on you living a more fulfilling life.
Reducing food waste
Food waste is a problem that we tend to underestimate. It can happen by exceeding expiry dates (or not checking in the first place), lack of meal-planning and bulk shopping. Yes, it’s true, bulk buying to save money may be a myth. It has been stated that we’re throwing away more in food waste than we are saving by buying in bulk. This push to buy cheap food in big quantities has caused us to be more wasteful now than ever. And we can see that this is not just in terms of food, but it also ends up wasting money. As the old saying goes…less is more - and in this case, it certainly applies.
Research carried out has shown that food waste tends to be highest when consumers shop “exclusively in large supermarkets and decreases when purchasing takes place in different shopping facilities, in small shops and local markets, and is lowest when people also grow their own food.” One could argue that this could also be attributed to the value (or lack of) placed on food today. Mindlessly purchasing big quantities of food that’s not needed, cheap produce and low-quality ingredients has resulted in consumers undervaluing food. Prioritising a discounted product instead of whether you will actually use it is more wasteful and therefore more harmful. Healthy food nourishes our body and soul, it’s vital for optimal wellbeing but when we don’t value the quality of what we’re putting into our body, we tend to care about it less - we don’t think twice about throwing it out. Most items being thrown away today are fruits, vegetables, bread and dairy products. However, those tomatoes we have spent time growing, or those local organic strawberries that we paid a little bit extra for, tend to be more considered because we care about where they came from. The effort and love behind them. This shows that food waste isn’t simply about throwing out food that has expired, it stems from deeper roots and behavioural traits that involve what we buy, how we buy and where we buy. Think about reducing food waste as not simply for sustainability reasons, but to save money and feel better.
Our top tips for minimising food waste start with planning and the benefits can be life changing for you and the environment. By making small steps in the kitchen to lower waste, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and minimise your impact on the environment. It helps to preserve resources and is more economical. Personal health outcomes and an enhanced quality of life ultimately improve your overall being too, promoting more mindfulness and intentional living as you think about food waste a little bit more. This allows you to culminate gratitude and reap the benefits of mindfulness on your mental, emotional and physical health. This connection with nature can be enriching for your soul, providing you with more personal fulfillment. So on that note, here’s our practical and easy-to-implement tips for reducing household waste in the kitchen below.
Top tips for low-waste kitchens:
Make a grocery list every time you go to the supermarket - without fail. This ensures you don’t veer off the necessary items and reduces the likelihood of random purchases that could lead to waste.
Don’t go to the supermarket hungry. Trust us, it’ll avoid the “eyes are bigger than your stomach” scenario and any temptation of buying extra (unhealthy) items that you really don’t need but are likely to end up in the bin.
Plan your meals as best you can - know what you’re eating today and tomorrow so you can plan ahead and not get worked up about what to cook when the time comes.
Batch-cook and freeze your meals so you always have a healthy option for days that you don’t feel like cooking or have no inspiration when the time comes.
Bulk shopping creates food waste - shop more frequently instead. This reduces the likelihood of expiration dates passing and also ensures that you have the freshest produce available.
Growing your own doesn’t require an allotment garden. Those store-bought herbs you have can be kept alive by cutting the stems, removing the lower leaves and keeping in fresh water.
If you can’t purchase all fruit and vegetables locally at a small grocer or market, choose one seasonal item on your shopping list and pick it up there instead (prioritising organic where possible). It’s a small change with a big impact.
Think twice about price promotions as they encourage excess consumption which leads to food waste. Adopt the mindset - if you don’t need it, don’t buy it.
Get experimental or else compost. Putting things in the compost bin is better than going to general waste, but why not get experimental in the kitchen. Leftover vegetables can be used for pickling and fruit can be made into jams then canned. Stems and leaves are a wonderful garnish for salads, in terms of flavour, texture and aesthetics - and you know the drill with black bananas… banana bread!