A report out this week revealed that the average UK family with children throws out £610 of good food a year. This wastefulness obviously doesn't just cost us in monetary terms, we have used natural resources to grow, process, package, transport and refrigerate the food and we also need to dispose of the waste after we've thrown it away.According to the report, we're throwing away a third of all food that we buy! Can you believe that? Thats like throwing one in every three carrier bags from the supermarket directly into the bin. Wow. That's crazy! Especially in a time when food prices are rising.
One of the reasons behind this is that we cook far more food than we actually need on a meal time - our eyes are bigger than our bellies. Just cutting down on the portions we make means we throw less away. If we do make too much, lets try and do something with the left overs like making sandwiches or soups.
A lot of stuff we throw away is because its passed its sell by date. A regular date check on the items in our fridge will help us to work out which foods need eating first. Also bear in mind the difference between use by and best before dates. Use By dates should be stuck to for food safety reasons but Best Before dates are only a guide for food quality. More on this can be found at the Food Standards site.
We should also make sure we stock up well on goods that have a longer shelf life. Canned, frozen and dried foods last a long time and can always be accompanied by something healthier at the dinner table. (Beans on toast with lettuce anyone?)
Planning is also helpful to make sure we have the right amount of food in at any one time. Before you go to the shops, make a shopping list and stick to it. Don't be lured in by the BOGOF offers - they're no use if you're going to through the free item away.
Lastly, we should always bear in mind that there are two consequences to wasting food. Firstly it costs us money and secondly it helps to destroy our planet. Remember that the amount of food we throw away is a major contributor to the production of greenhouse gases in the UK.