The benefits of meal planning are not limited to reducing food waste, it can save you lots of money too. It is estimated that the UK wastes 7.3 million tons of food every single year, and if you are a family of four, you could be saving as much as £70 each month just by taking steps to reduce food waste!
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The best before date is advisory; the use by date is generally considered to be the cut off point. However, you can still trust your senses and if it seems OK, it probably is!
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The liquid in a can of chickpeas, or the liquid used to cook chickpeas if bought dried, is called aquafaba. Aquafaba behaves very similarly to egg whites so can be used to make mousse! It tastes nothing like chickpeas, and this part of the food is normally thrown away so it’s a great way of using what is normally considered waste. As an added benefit, it’s vegan!
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Potatoes on their way out can be prepared and frozen for later. I like to peel and cut into chips, parboil and then freeze. Homemade frozen chips that can be thrown in the oven at a later date! You can also mash potato and freeze it for later, it thaws fine (as proven by how shepherds/cottage pie can be prepared and frozen for later).
Veg on its last legs can be thrown into a curry, soup or even a spanish omelette.
Citrus peels can be soaked in white vinegar to make a very effective DIY surface cleanser. Old bananas can either be frozen and used for makeshift banana ice cream or in smoothies, or they make great banana bread.
If creating a meal plan, think about how you can incorporate leftovers into subsequent meals. For example, over the weekend I found some reduced Brie, so I made brie stuffed meatballs and used half with a spaghetti sauce, and used the other half another day with mash and gravy.
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There is a revolutionary app called Olio which allows users to upload leftover food, or food that was bought and not liked for others in the community to request and pick up. Not only is it free to use, there are volunteering opportunities where you can spread the word about Olio and also become a Food Waste Hero, where you arrange to collect surplus food from local shops and cafes to distribute within your community. I just registered as a Food Waste Hero in my town and am currently forming a “squad” of distributors to reduce the sheer quantity of food wasted by businesses (and save my neighbours money!).
Lentils and other pulses/grains can be used to bulk up dishes like chilli and make the expensive meat go further. I use them regularly to bulk up curries. I’ve also heard of people using porridge oats!
Peelings and trimmings can be stored away and then simmered for a few hours to make your own vegetable stock, or chicken carcasses can be simmered to make chicken stock etc. I haven’t tried this yet but keen to find out how. Freeze the stock into ice cubes and then decant into freezer bags (or more sustainable containers) so that you have portions to add into dishes as and when required. Just don’t forget that you need to put a pot under your strainer when you’re straining out the solids!!
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Surplus fresh herbs can be frozen into ice cubes with olive oil. The cubes can then be thrown into pots of chilli or soup to add a burst of flavour, just remember they won’t really work as garnishes anymore. Consider growing your own herbs rather than buying them fresh in those plastic packets too.
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Grand Eye Opening 