Ask anyone who does the groceries and they will tell you just how much food costs these days. Getting the groceries can be a costly endeavor, and there’s nothing worse than checking the fridge only to find your fresh food is no longer edible.
As a part of Rabobank’s annual Financial Health Barometer, the Rabobank Food Waste report shines a light on the nation’s food waste habits, comparing states, generations and genders. As it turns out, shopping online and having food delivered to your door are just some of the things contributing to your food waste. The report found 86 per cent of Australian households waste food each week.
Food deliveries
The report found that ‘on demand’ food delivery services such as UberEats and Menulog are linked to food waste, with those who use food delivery services wasting 15.2% of their food. If you’re the kind of person who is likely to use food delivery services for the convenience of not cooking, get into the habit of meal prepping so you always have a meal to-go in the fridge or freezer.
Grocery shopping online
The report also found that people who shop for their groceries online are more likely to waste food, and throw away 19% of the food they buy. A better option is to go to the store yourself and keep your freezer stocked with easily steamed vegetables and oven-friendly foods. These don’t go off, and they’re quick and easy to cook.
Picky kids
Of those surveyed, 41 per cent of people with kids at home said food was wasted because their kids didn’t eat the food that was prepared for them. Raisingchildren.net recommends eating at the same time as your child if possible, to show them that the whole family is eating the meal. The website also recommends strategies such as blending extra vegies or meat into pasta sauces, or allowing older children to encourage the youngest to try new things.
Meal prep
The report by Rabobank also found that the top three reported reasons of food waste among respondents were food going off before you can finish it (75 per cent), buying too much food (45 per cent), and food not being as good as you expected (37 per cent). The key to getting the balance right is by embracing things such as meal prep, meal planning for the week ahead, using leftovers for lunches and composting at home.
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