Did you know that you throw out a THIRD of all food that you buy?
If you love food but hate waste, you may be shocked to hear that about 650,000 tonnes of food waste is thrown out by Scottish households each year.
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Altogether, that’s around £800 million worth of food being thrown away – a whopping £366 per year that each Scottish home could be saving.
Around a third of the food Scottish householders buy is thrown in the bin, but at least half of this could have been eaten.
If we stopped wasting all this food, we could prevent the equivalent of 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year – the same as taking one in four cars off Scottish roads!
Here are some tips to help you get the most from your food and help reduce the amount of food being wasted:
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PLANNING:
- Take five minutes to think what meals you would like for the week ahead.
- Check your cupboards to see what food you need before you shop.
STORING FOOD:
- Get to know your food labels – ‘use-by’ dates appear on food which can go off quickly, such as fish and meat. ‘Best before’ dates are about quality rather than safety and are used for foods that last longer, such as frozen, dried or tinned foods.
- Follow storage instructions on food packs – this will tell you where and how long it can be stored for.
- Rotate the food in your fridge so you can see what needs to be used first.
- Many foods can be stored in the freezer and used after their ‘use by’ date – follow any instructions on the food pack.
- Leftovers can also be frozen for another day.
PORTION SIZES:
- Buy loose fruit and vegetables so you can buy exactly what you need.
- Look out for smaller portion sizes if this is all you need.
- Measure your portion sizes – some food packs have recommended serving sizes on them.
RECIPE IDEAS:
- Leftovers can be used to make another delicious meal.
- Follow our hints, tips and recipe ideas to make the most of your food.
- You can find practical hints and tips for reducing your food waste at: www.wasteawarelovefood.org.uk
The site contains insider tips from some of Scotland’s best chefs, as well as recipe ideas and food blogs.