Reducing the amount of food waste a household produces is a way of “reducing, reusing and recycling” that few people consider. Annually, South African households waste an average of 10 million tonnes of food.
This was the finding of a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) South Africa in 2017.
There are simple ways in which you can reduce your household’s food wastage, and these can be so easily adopted that they almost feel like second nature when you enter the kitchen.
1. Do not overbuy
Purchasing more food than you need or realistically can consume within a specific time, can contribute to food waste. Before making your way to the grocery store or a fresh fruit and veg vendor to stock up, ensure that you snap a quick picture of your fridge and pantry.
This will ensure that you know how much food you still have left to finish, and stop you from purchasing food in surplus.
2. Eat or freeze leftovers
Many people do not find eating leftovers appealing. Adding leftovers to another dish may be the solution. For example, if you have roast veggies left over from the previous evening, you can serve them as a side to your morning eggs on toast.
Another option is to freeze leftovers. If you have dishes such as soups or stews, you can freeze them to be consumed at a later stage. Be sure to check how long specific dishes can be frozen, and ensure you eat them by the specific “expiry date”.
3. Employ ‘nose-to-tail’ dining
Nose-to-tail dining is a food consumption method that encourages consumers to eat everything they can when purchasing meat. This means that if you buy a whole chicken, you prepare and consume everything from the giblets down to the bones which you use to prepare a broth.
For vegans or vegetarians, this method of food preparation is known as “root-to-shoot” preparation.
