We’ve all no doubt been guilty of it – throwing away those gone-off veggies and the rest of that meal you really thought you’d manage in one sitting.
But reducing the amount of food we waste is so important. Not only does this waste have an environmental impact due to the energy used to produce and transport it, but it also means money is being spent on food that often ends up in the bin.
With that in mind, our Wellbeing and Behaviour Change Coach, Craig Williamson, has shared 5 top tips to reduce food waste:
- Plan your meals out in advance: Use a plan to create your shopping list, meaning you know exactly how much of each ingredient to buy.
- Audit what food you already have in stock: There may be ingredients hiding at the back of the cupboards that you have completely forgotten about! By taking stock of what you have you can try to use them before they go out of date.
- Compost: If you’re green fingered there’s nothing more satisfying than creating your own compost to nourish your plants. And if you use this for your own fruits and vegetables, then the whole process goes full circle and you can create some of your own food with zero food miles.
- Re-use leftovers: Some meals can be frozen so that your healthy home-cooked meal can become your convenience option for another day. Or perhaps individual leftovers could be used in another dish the following day, such as leftover pasta being added to a cold pasta salad?
- Consider frozen fruits and vegetables: You can often get more for your money buying frozen fruits and vegetables, while these can also last for months without spoiling – all while maintaining those nutritious benefits.
And here’s a quick recipe to try with some of of your leftovers:
Healthy slow vegetable cooked curry recipe
This recipe is so versatile because you can swap and change the ingredients depending on what you have leftover or in the freezer. It is a great way to boost your fruit and vegetable intake, and therefore all of the fibre and micronutrients that they contain. You could also add cubed leftover meat from a roast dinner, such as chicken or lamb to give some extra protein.
In the slow cooker or a pan on a low heat, add the following and cook for 2-3 hours.
- 1 onion
- A sweet potato cut into small cubes
- A Chopped Red Pepper
- 2 blocks of frozen spinach
- A tin of chickpeas
- A tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tikka curry spice blend
