Did you know that every year we throw away over 1.3 billion tonnes of food? That’s a third of global production. And enough to feed 2 billion people. This data comes from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation, which also reports that 42% of this waste comes from households, where 60% need not have been thrown away.
These are shocking figures. But we can tackle this issue from several different angles, including nutritional, ethical, economic and environmental perspectives. This is something we all need to deal with because it affects us all. But how? Well, plan the week ahead and avoid unwanted last-minute surprises. Here are some keys:
- Go through your pantry and fridge regularly and take note of any products that are running out.
- Your mantra should be: first in, first out.
- Check the best-before dates to make sure things don’t go off.
- Design a comprehensive weekly menu bearing in mind the products you’ve got in stock.
- Make a list of what you need to buy, including how much, for the meals you’ve planned and the number of people you’re cooking for.
- By all means buy fresh produce, but only as much as you need, or else you’ll end up throwing it away.
- Stock up with non-perishable goods, such as tinned and frozen foods, to help you improvise when necessary.
- Organise your shopping in terms of products that go inside and outside the fridge, separating cooked and raw meat and fish, vegetables, etc.
