Food Waste: 14 tips for reducing the food you throw away at home
Austrian households throw away up to 157,000 tons of opened and unopened packaged food every year, even though it would still be edible if consumed in time. Here are some tips on how to contribute to reducing food waste at home and minimize the food your actually throw away.
1. Plan your shopping better
Nothing new, but the biggest lever against food waste. Think about what you want to cook during the week before you go shopping. Check your supplies and write yourself a shopping list with the quantities that need to be bought.
2. Be brave concerning ugly fruit & vegetables
Consumers want perfect products. Fruit and vegetables that do not meet the norm do not even make it to market. However, the 'not so pretty fruits and vegetables' taste just as good!
3. Eat what is edible
We often throw away more food than we need to when cooking. For example certain vegetables are more edible than we think they are. Use the green from the leek, the broccoli stem, the radish leaves, or the carrot greens when cooking your next meal.
4. Shop seasonally and regionally
Fruit and vegetables that are in season right now have the advantage of being more durable. They might also have a higher vitamin content and also help against climate change.
5. Pack up and take leftovers with you
Meal portions in restaurants are often too large. If the ordered portion is too much for you, then simply have the leftovers packed and take them home with you. In this way, if you preserve it correctly, you also have a meal for the next day. And, if you bring your containers from home, you also waste less packaging!
6. Store food properly
The correct storage extends the shelf life of food. Pasta, flour, couscous, lentils and oils prefer dry and dark environments. You should store tropical fruits at room temperature. Lettuce, vegetables and fruits do not wilt so quickly at a humidity of around 60%. therefore, you can put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge. If the vegetables are wrapped in plastic, you should remove the packaging immediately.
7. Make food last longer
Your apples have become wrinkled? No problem, you can still eat them, just make applesauce or jam out of them. Soft vegetables can be cooked very well into stews or curries.
Nothing new, but the biggest lever against food waste. Think about what you want to cook during the week before you go shopping. Check your supplies and write yourself a shopping list with the quantities that need to be bought.
2. Be brave concerning ugly fruit & vegetables
Consumers want perfect products. Fruit and vegetables that do not meet the norm do not even make it to market. However, the 'not so pretty fruits and vegetables' taste just as good!
3. Eat what is edible
We often throw away more food than we need to when cooking. For example certain vegetables are more edible than we think they are. Use the green from the leek, the broccoli stem, the radish leaves, or the carrot greens when cooking your next meal.
4. Shop seasonally and regionally
Fruit and vegetables that are in season right now have the advantage of being more durable. They might also have a higher vitamin content and also help against climate change.
5. Pack up and take leftovers with you
Meal portions in restaurants are often too large. If the ordered portion is too much for you, then simply have the leftovers packed and take them home with you. In this way, if you preserve it correctly, you also have a meal for the next day. And, if you bring your containers from home, you also waste less packaging!
6. Store food properly
The correct storage extends the shelf life of food. Pasta, flour, couscous, lentils and oils prefer dry and dark environments. You should store tropical fruits at room temperature. Lettuce, vegetables and fruits do not wilt so quickly at a humidity of around 60%. therefore, you can put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge. If the vegetables are wrapped in plastic, you should remove the packaging immediately.
7. Make food last longer
Your apples have become wrinkled? No problem, you can still eat them, just make applesauce or jam out of them. Soft vegetables can be cooked very well into stews or curries.
8. Freeze leftovers
Is lunch left over or have you bought too many groceries at once? Freeze food and cooked dishes and save yourself time on days when you need to get it done quickly. Any leftovers from cooking should be cooled beforehand and only then put in the freezer. Pre-cut vegetables can also be frozen to save space. Butter, milk or whipped cream, bread and pastries and even sausage can be frozen well.
9. No XXL or "three for two"
If you buy XXL packages, but throw away part of them because it's simply too much, that doesn't save money and only leads to more waste. Only buy the quantities you really need.
10. Creative dishes from leftovers
There are so many delicious leftover recipes! There are several books or websites that offer great leftovers recipes. For exmaple, turn hard rolls and bread into breadcrumbs and use them for your next dish or dessert.
11. Understand the best-before date correctly
The best-before date (BBD) indicates the minimum date until which the food retains its advertised properties. This should not be confused with the expiry date!
12. Show some love
Keep reminding yourself of the following: food has come a long way before it ends up on your table, it has used a lot of resources and labour - land, water, energy, CO2 emissions, etc. So appreciate your food!
13. Foodsharing
Do you have too many foods at home that you can't even use? Then share your food or give it to neighbors, friends or people that need it. For example, what about sharing your food before going on vacation?
14. Apps to save food
Use apps and websites to save food. Search the internet for leftover recipes to turn your leftover food into delicious dishes or use apps such as "Too Good To Go" to save food from catering establishments and food retailers. This saves you money and is part of the solution to reduce food waste.
Is lunch left over or have you bought too many groceries at once? Freeze food and cooked dishes and save yourself time on days when you need to get it done quickly. Any leftovers from cooking should be cooled beforehand and only then put in the freezer. Pre-cut vegetables can also be frozen to save space. Butter, milk or whipped cream, bread and pastries and even sausage can be frozen well.
9. No XXL or "three for two"
If you buy XXL packages, but throw away part of them because it's simply too much, that doesn't save money and only leads to more waste. Only buy the quantities you really need.
10. Creative dishes from leftovers
There are so many delicious leftover recipes! There are several books or websites that offer great leftovers recipes. For exmaple, turn hard rolls and bread into breadcrumbs and use them for your next dish or dessert.
11. Understand the best-before date correctly
The best-before date (BBD) indicates the minimum date until which the food retains its advertised properties. This should not be confused with the expiry date!
12. Show some love
Keep reminding yourself of the following: food has come a long way before it ends up on your table, it has used a lot of resources and labour - land, water, energy, CO2 emissions, etc. So appreciate your food!
13. Foodsharing
Do you have too many foods at home that you can't even use? Then share your food or give it to neighbors, friends or people that need it. For example, what about sharing your food before going on vacation?
14. Apps to save food
Use apps and websites to save food. Search the internet for leftover recipes to turn your leftover food into delicious dishes or use apps such as "Too Good To Go" to save food from catering establishments and food retailers. This saves you money and is part of the solution to reduce food waste.
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