Figures on global food waste are becoming increasingly alarming and can no longer be ignored. According to the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, one third of the world’s food is wasted before it even reaches the tables of consumers, who – in turn – waste an average of 146 kg of food per person over the course of a year. Figures obviously vary from country to country, but the situation is certainly far from encouraging.
Here are a few simple tricks to reduce food waste in your kitchen as much as possible and to reverse this trend in order to preserve the planet’s well-being. You only need to follow them to do your part and to avoid your shopping ending up in the bin prematurely day after day.
- When the fruit and vegetables are too ripe, rather than throwing them out, blend them to make tasty soups and smoothies. In addition to being a healthy source of vitamins and fibre, it will speed up consumption of excess vegetables.
- Another way to extend the life of your food and to reduce food waste is through vacuum storage. Vacuum-packed food lasts up to 5 times longer than food stored using traditional methods.
- If you have leftovers, try to reuse them to make other dishes. Stews, soups and pies are excellent ways of using up leftovers from other recipes.
- Write down a list to plan menus and to keep an eye on what you have in the pantry.
