Love Food Hate Waste Top Tips
One of the aims of the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign is to
provide everyone with helpful and practical hints and tips on how
to enjoy the food we buy, and cut down on the amount of good food
thrown away. Here are some ideas we thought we’d share:
Stop before you shop
- Check what is in your cupboard or freezer, not forgetting the
back of the fridge, before you shop for more.
- Make a list and shop with meals in mind. This will mean that
you do not buy food unnecessarily and save you time and money.
- Be careful of special offers and multi-buys especially on fresh
goods – make sure you will use them.
Use it or lose it
Keep an eye on perishables you have and plan to eat meals with
in their ‘use by’ date. View our advice about food date stamps.
Love your leftovers
Meals made from leftovers can be delicious and timesaving –
whether its dinner from the night before or food left in the fridge
or cupboard. Do your own ‘Ready Steady Cook’ and see what meals you
can make. Try using an on-line recipe database to give you some
inspiration. When cooking for a family – take a few minutes to
measure food out – perhaps into a favourite cup – so you get the
right portion per person.
No more soggy surprises
Keeping your fridge between 1-5 degrees centigrade helps you get
the best of your food.
Leaving food such as milk, cooked meat and salad can cut shelf
life by 100%.
Make good use of the fridge and freezer to keep food better –
for example, most ripe fruit can be kept in the fridge to make it
last longer.
Consider your options
Chilled and fresh food has become more popular over recent years
– however sometimes it may be worth purchasing frozen or ambient
food to increase shelf life at home. This is particularly useful if
your meal times are more unplanned due to work or family
schedules.
Remember, that often fresh and chilled produce can be frozen at
home if it is not going to be used in time.
Storage Solutions
You can also influence the shelf life of your cupboard
storage,
- Store root vegetables in a dark place away from other fruit and
vegetables.
- Store cereals, flour, rice, pasta and other dry goods in
airtight containers.
- Close packets and bags with airtight bag clips. There are many
ingenious products available to protect the quality of your
food.
Start composting at home
Home compost your peelings and cores, this is a great way to
prevent unavoidable food waste such as peelings, cores and teabags
ending up in landfill and can do wonders for the garden.
Contact
Dover District Council Wasteline:
01304 872428
Email: waste@dover.gov.uk
