Easy Ways To Reduce Food Waste At Home

Focus on how you can use up produce before it turns in a fun and creative way. Excess tomatoes have turned soft to can be put in the oven on low to cook for six to eight hours until they semi dry. Finish them off with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and they’re ready to go! Bananas are also among the most wasted foods, as they ripen quickly. Too-ripe bananas are the perfect excuse for banana bread, and you can also peel and store them in the freezer for smoothies or banana gelato.

People often overbuy their groceries and end up doubling up on ingredients they already have at home. You can combat this by thoroughly checking my fridge and pantry before going out for a shop and end up with a thought-out shopping list when you arrive at the store. This way, you are not second-guessing what you need to buy and purchasing ingredients ‘just in case’. If you don’t have the time or accessibility, get your housemate or partner to send a photo of the pantry so you can get an idea of what you already have at home.

The best way you can make sure to reduce food waste is to utilise leftovers to avoid throwing food out. Herbs are a kitchen staple, and despite being difficult to keep fresh and often only requiring a small amount for recipes, they should never be thrown out. You can blend excess herbs with olive oil and a dash of salt before freezing the mixture in an ice cube tray. This works great for herbs like fresh basil and coriander when they’re not always easily accessible from your garden. Another way to extend the life of your fresh produce is by greens and herbs in a damp cloth.

Instead of throwing out lettuce heads and herbs once they start to wilt, burn all those or char them on the grill. Then you can puree them up with oil to make a delicious and unique pesto that you won’t be able to find in your supermarket.