Every year in Australia we waste 7.6 million tonnes of food and 70% of it is perfectly edible!
On top of that, it costs the average household $2000-$2500 annually, according to Foodbank Australia. The top five most wasted foods are vegetables, bread, fruit, bagged salad and leftovers, but there are easy ways you can make better use of what’s in your fridge and pantry.
Here’s how to reduce your food waste
1. Storage
Store dry goods in airtight containers in your pantry, making sure to mark the use-by dates clearly on labels.
2. Use your freezer
Freeze fruit before it goes bad to use later, such as bananas for baking and smoothies.
3. Have a system
Rotate older ingredients to the front of the fridge so they aren’t forgotten.
4. Refresh old bread
To refresh stale bread, generously spray the loaf with water, wrap in foil and bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional), until heated through. Remove foil. Bake for 5 more minutes to crisp.
5. Vacuum bags
Use budget-friendly food vacuum seal bags to refrigerate and freeze food; they prolong food life by reducing freezer burn and oxidisation.
6. Upcycle old herbs
Don’t toss that half bunch of herbs leftover from a batch you bought for a recipe and didn’t fully use up. They can be used to make infused oils for cooking and dressings. You’ll find lots of recipes and tutorials online.
You might also like:
3 unexpected ways your food and money is going to waste
Five great reasons to be composting
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