Enjoying leftovers has a bounty of benefits for the planet, your health, and your pocket
Worldwide, around one-third of all food from producers, retailers and households is thrown away – that equates to around $940 billion of food being discarded every year. In Australia alone, one in five shopping bags ends up in the bin, which is around $3,800 worth of groceries per household each year. It doesn’t have to be this way. A few changes can benefit the environment, personal health and the amount you keep in your pocket.
Eating sustainably is nothing new and our recent ancestors managed it perfectly well. Tropical fruits and the latest must-have superfood, so readily available now, weren’t around in years gone by. For our ancestors, sustainable eating was a necessity (as it still is in many parts of the world) and people bought local produce as and when it was needed. Little – if anything – was wasted, and inventive cooks rustled up nutritious family meals from a handful of ingredients. Buying seasonal produce was the norm, resulting in healthy and filling vegetable dishes, hearty stews and tasty desserts.
Make a food inventory
The good (and obvious) news is that food waste in the home is avoidable. It just takes thought when it comes to planning, preparing and shopping for meals.
Make an assessment of the ingredients you already have before you embark on a shopping expedition. Start with a list of four food categories: carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and vegetables, plus miscellaneous goods – such as dried herbs, fresh herbs, spices, salt, pepper, cooking oil, stock cubes, soy sauce, mustard, hot sauce, anything that adds a touch of grace and flavour to your meal. Taking this inventory forms the basis of creating balanced meals, as you can quickly identify what exactly you need to buy, and can get creative with what you have.
Pioneering spirit
A growing number of cafés and retailers are helping to spread the word on avoiding food waste and leading by example. Establishments have smaller menus, with dishes prepared fresh each day and leftovers consumed by staff in subsequent meal break times. Lots of cafés are embracing their existing pantry or fridge for daily specials – cooking according to the stock they have in excess.
It’s a fabulous example of reducing food waste and educating the wider community on how they can do the same. Diners might, for instance, be treated to a fresh falafel salad on a Monday with any leftovers from the ingredients transformed into sustaining wraps on the Tuesday. Stalks from herbs and vegetables can be easily incorporated in delicious soups, and leaves no longer suitable for salads can be blended to make pesto.
This way of eating provides myriad benefits. There’s less damage to the environment as food miles are reduced and the need for packaging is minimised; personal wellbeing is improved as more fresh, seasonal food is eaten, and processed produce becomes less necessary; there’s also the emotional boost that comes from the sense of having done something good while exercising creativity, invention and imagination – truly a win-win situation.
STEPS TO REDUCING FOOD WASTE AT HOME
WRITE IT DOWN
Make a shopping list before heading out and don’t be tempted by so-called bargains. If it isn’t on your list, you probably don’t need it.
SHOP SMART
Where possible, also shop local. Smaller, independent shops are a great choice for buying just the quantity you need. Look out for retailers where you can take your own containers to fill with supplies.
BE INVENTIVE
Try using the whole ingredient or food, with only non-edible parts going to waste. You’ll be surprised at what you can make with the most unlikely of ingredients.
USE UP YOUR LEFTOVERS
Avoid the habit of throwing away leftovers. Leftover lunchtime fruit salad looking a bit sad? Add a handful of seeds and blend it up to create an energising morning smoothie.
LOVE YOUR FREEZER
Make double quantities of your favourite meals, portion them up and pop them in the freezer for something that can be grabbed for quick, easy and tasty dinners when you’re short on time. Don’t think you’ll get round to using those vegetables that were surplus to last night’s recipe? Freeze them and defrost to create something new when you have more time on your hands. (Remember that not all foods are suitable for freezing and to never re-freeze produce that has already been defrosted.)
IT’S NOT A BEAUTY COMPETITION
Don’t be fooled by overly packaged, identically shaped and sized vegetables. That peculiar, knobbly carrot will taste just as good as its manicured neighbours. Some major retailers are beginning to off er unruly vegetables that don’t conform to the usual perfect standards. They also tend to be cheaper than the standard offerings.
In general, don’t be put off if something doesn’t look perfect or if it seems slightly past its best (do check it is still safe to eat, however). It’s entirely possible to transform it into a nutritious, tasty dish and do your bit for the environment, your health and your finances at the same time. Bon appétit.
