Cutting Back On Food Waste

When we first started living on a tight grocery budget I thought that by committing to spend less on food it would be as simple as setting a smaller amount to spend each week. Oh how wrong I was!

Here’s how to minimise your food waste at home and increase your savings instead:

• Proper storage saves food; invest in freezer proof boxes and bags.
• Make use of your freezer; it’s a brilliant pause button.
• Use veg past its best in soups and stews.
• Blitz over-ripe fruit into smoothies, jams, and homemade ice pops.
• Before you go shopping check to see if you really need to buy. Do a store cupboard stocktake.
• Freeze slices of bread per portion by separating them with grease proof paper. Take out the portions as you need them.
• Store bananas for longer by hanging them on a hook. Keep bananas out of the fruit bowl because they will make all your other fruit ripen faster.
• Check you’re storing your food properly!
  • Eggs sold in Ireland can be stored in a cool dry spot (and not in the fridge) providing you stick to the recommended dates on the box.
  • Never store your potatoes or onions in the fridge. They need to be stored in a dark cool place and preferably not in plastic. Use a brown paper bag and make sure they are stored away from direct sunlight.
  • Invest in some bag clips to keep bags of dry foodstuffs sealed when you’re not using them.

FoodCloud is a social enterprise committed to redistributing food from from supermarkets and food businesses to those who need it most in our  communities.

I was lucky enough to visit their head office recently. To be honest I’ve been following the progress of FoodCloud for many years so this was a fantastic chance for me to see their work in person. I’ve compiled a small video of how I got on here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL5WYet_Qag?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

In fact, I was so impressed with what they do, I’m working with FoodCloud and sharing my recipes for leftovers and tips to manage food waste in their newsletters that go out to the charities they work with.