Did you know that every year we throw away over 1.3 billion tons of food? That’s a third of global production. And enough to feed 2 billion people. This data comes from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, which also reports that 42% of this waste comes from households, where 60% need not have been thrown away.
These are shocking figures. But we can tackle this issue from several different angles, including nutritional, ethical, economic and environmental perspectives. This is something we all need to deal with because it affects us all. But how? Well, plan the week ahead and avoid unwanted last-minute surprises. Here are some tips:
- Go through your pantry and fridge regularly and take note of any products that are running out.
- Your mantra should be: first in, first out.
- Check the best-by dates to make sure things don’t expire before you get to use them.
- Design a comprehensive weekly menu bearing in mind the products you have in stock.
- Make a list of what you need to buy, including how much, for the meals you’ve planned and the number of people you’re cooking for.
- By all means buy fresh produce, but only as much as you need, or else you’ll end up throwing it away. Learn how to preserve fresh herbs in olive oil here.
- Stock up on non-perishable goods, such as tinned and frozen foods, to help you improvise when necessary.
- Organize your shopping in terms of products that go inside and outside the fridge, separating cooked and raw meat and fish, vegetables, etc.
