Did you know that 29 September is Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day? According to the Ministry of Agriculture, each of us throws away 28 kilos of food every year. Avoiding this would be a great help to both our wallets and the environment. Here are some tips on how to make the most of food and avoid food waste.
Plan your meals
This is undoubtedly one of the keys to not wasting food. Before going down to the supermarket, plan your weekly menu and make a list of what you need. This will help you use all the ingredients before they go bad. Of course, avoid impulse buying and don't get carried away by offers.
Store food correctly
If you want to prolong the shelf life of your food, avoid storing your groceries in any way. Store fruit and vegetables in separate drawers in the fridge to maintain their freshness. Freeze meat and fish that you are not going to eat soon. If necessary, label them with the date of purchase. Be sure to put products with the earliest expiry date on hand.
Choosing the right knives and scissors
An important step in making the most of your food is to have a good set of knives and scissors. Good quality knives, such as those from 3 Claveles, make cutting more efficient and avoid waste.
Master cutting techniques
Once you have the right knives and scissors, it is important to master some cutting techniques that will help you make the most of your ingredients and reduce waste. On our blog, you can find an article on “The most popular cutting techniques in the kitchen”.
Use all parts of the food
Don't forget that some parts of food can be reused in other recipes. For example, vegetables can be used to make broths or soups, and the same goes for meat bones or fish bones. Ripe fruit can be turned into a nutritious smoothie, and stale bread into breadcrumbs for escalope or croquettes.
Save leftover food
Try not to throw leftovers away. Keep them in the fridge or freeze them to eat at another time. Use airtight containers to keep them in the best possible condition for as long as possible.
Compost
If you have never considered composting, now might be a good time to start. Composting is an effective and sustainable way of using food waste to create natural fertiliser for your plants. Or you can also put your organic waste in the brown bin.
