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Leave food on your plate and you might hear your parents making you feel guilty about how millions of people out there are starving and struggling while you’ve got the luxury to fill yourselves to the fullest.
This is how probably most of us were taught to refrain from wasting food and be grateful while growing up and yet we have grown up in a world where food wastage is an epidemic and hunger is a desperate challenge to our development.
The world is producing more than enough food but more than one-third of it is thrown away or spoiled globally. Americans waste up to forty percent of the food they buy and we’re not just wasting food. All those wasted groceries that go in the garbage add up to almost $165 billion lost annually. This amount excludes the environmental resources that have also been wasted on growing food that’s thrown away. Squandered food creates billions of tons of greenhouse gases, contributing to 20% of all methane emissions, posing a great threat to climate change.
All of these statistics are so shocking that the U.N. has initiated a new global campaign called “Think Eat Save” that is dedicated to tackle food wastage by consumers, retailers, and the restaurant industry.
It's about time the average person starts to change their lifestyle and adapt little everyday things that can make a huge difference.
Shop Smart and Practical
It sure sounds simple, but it’s not easy to do. When you go shopping for groceries, make sure you don't buy more than what you need. This might mean you start going to the grocery store more often, and buying less food each time.
Take a good look in your pantry and refrigerator before leaving home and plan your meals, make grocery lists and avoid impulse purchases. Buy items only if you plan to use them, and wait until all perishables have been used before buying more.
Just because something is on sale for a stunning price doesn’t mean you will save money buying them in excess. Because if you are throwing food away, you are certainly not saving any money.
Cook and Serve Only What is Needed
Reduce food wastage and your waistline by reducing portion sizes, so cook only what will be needed rather than cooking to feed an army. The concept of serving large portions is influenced by restaurant culture and has become a way of displaying our hospitality. Don’t do it and don't over-serve friends and family when you cook, if most of it is going to end up in the trash.
Wait 10 minutes yourself to see if you are still hungry before heading back to get more and you will be shocked at how full you feel.
If you don’t cook everyday, don’t stock up on things you feel are must-haves, like baking supplies and dried beans and grains because you might end up forcing yourself to cook just to get rid of them.
Make Good Use of Leftovers
Know and label the leftovers you have and try to eat them within a day or two. Otherwise you may forget about them to the point of no return. Label them to keep track of how long they've been in your fridge, and use them up in your daily meals. Pack them for work or school and enjoy a freshly prepared wholesome meal.
Freeze them if you don’t intend to eat leftovers the day after they’re cooked to save them for later. Frozen food have a bad reputation of ruined flavour, however the problem isn’t in the freezing but in the quality of the food. Experts suggest freezing peeled and chopped banana for smoothies, or leaving them whole with the skin on for banana bread. Got too many lemons? Squeeze out the juice and freeze in ice trays.
Repurpose leftover scraps. Produce doesn’t have to be thrown away just because it’s reaching the end of its peak freshness. Use soft fruits in smoothies, wilted vegetables in soups or both wilting fruits and vegetables can be turned into a delicious, healthy juice.
Store Food Better
Being organized can save you money in plenty ways and food is no exception! When you unpack groceries, move older products to the front and put the new ones at the back. This way you will use up older stuff before it expires.
Keep your pantry, fridge and freezer tidily arranged so that you can see what you have. Keep comparable items together and place larger containers behind smaller ones so that everything is visible.
Store cereals, chips and crackers in airtight containers to keep them fresh longer.
Check the fridge. Make sure your refrigerator is working with maximum efficiency and right temperature. Learn how and where to store certain products like fruits and veggies. Storing food in the right place, whether fridge or room temperature, is really underrated and makes a huge difference in their longevity.
Expiration Dates
Understand what expiration dates mean. Expiration dates don’t always have to do with food safety; instead they’re usually manufacturer’s suggestions for highest quality duration.
If most of these foods are stored properly, they stay fresh several days past the expiration date. Instead of trusting the date on the package, use your senses of smell, sight and taste to check whether food is ok. If it looks, smells and tastes fine, then it's good to eat. If any of these elements are off, only then it’s time to dispose of it.
Can, Pickle or Compost
(Above photo by Alina Kuptsova from Pixabay)
Can it: Got tricked into buying a lot of fruits on sale? Can them and enjoy them when they’re out of season.
Pickle it: Pickle leftover veggies in vinegar and use them for a long time.
Compost it: Use potato peels and wilted vegetables efficiently by throwing them in your garden as a nutrient-rich fertilizer. Keep a small crate in the kitchen for food scraps and one outside in the direct sunlight to help break down waste faster.
Guest Post Written By Amanda Bentley:
Amanda has 5 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry and currently works as a Content writer at Qavashop (www.qavashop.com). Qavashop.com is an online store for all the "coffee aficionados" located in the GCC. Apart from providing its customers with quality coffee machines and consumables, it also provides them with skilled, knowledgeable advice on how to make their own restaurant quality espresso at home
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