Think before you toss: clever hacks to reduce food waste

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (September 29th) and World Food Day (October 16th) are two days that remind us of the staggering amount of food we throw away that we could otherwise eat! Did you know that over one-third of all food produced globally goes to waste? In the UK alone, around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste is discarded every single year! This is a huge problem considering 8.4 million people in the UK are in food poverty. Billions of pounds are wasted each year when food is disposed of unnecessarily.

Food waste also has a negative impact on the environment. When food is wasted, all the resources used to grow, transport, and package that food (such as water, energy, and land), are also wasted. When food ends up in landfills, it decomposes and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to harmful emissions and climate change.¹ Reducing food waste not only saves us money but also helps our planet, making it an essential part of sustainable living. What can you do to prevent food loss?

1. Scraps to delicious snacks: turn fruit and veggie scraps into flavour

Turn your leftover veggie scraps (like ends and tops of carrots, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beet greens, onions, garlic, radishes and celery leaves) into easy 2 -ingredient pickles. Simply add them to an air-tight container and cover them with a vinegar of your choice (white, rice or apple cider vinegar). For flavour, you can also add some herbs or spices (like mustard seeds, celery seeds, cloves or ground turmeric) to make fancier pickles! You could even use our Ana’s Farmacy vinegars, which are already infused with antimicrobial herbs!

Apart from pickles, there are so many other ways you can ferment your fruit and veggies. You could make sauerkraut or kimchi from leftover cabbage, carrots, and other veggies before they spoil. This also makes them a great source of probiotics and prebiotics! You can blend your veggie scraps into pesto, add them to broths for extra flavour and nutrients or use them to make veggie stock. You can use fruit scraps (peels and core) to make jam, fruit-infused water or smoothies. You can even add them to our Gut Health Smoothie, which we recommend in our Gut Health Protocol.

2. Leftovers to gourmet: creative ways to repurpose food

Leftovers don’t have to be boring! There are many creative ways to repurpose typical leftovers like roasted veggies and rice. For example, leftover brown rice can become fried rice or mix it with kimchi for a gut-friendly twist. Do you have roasted veggies sitting in the fridge? Blend them into a yummy soup before they spoil. You can also use leftover veggies, meats and a bit of cheese to make some veggie fritters, frittatas or omelettes with eggs (how egg-citing!) or some Bubble and Squeak with mashed potato (this could be sweet potato to bump up the nutrients!). You can also use leftover sweet veggies and fruits to make pancakes. If you are making chicken for dinner, the next day, you can shred it and add it to tacos and burritos or turn it into a nutritious soup with chicken bones. If you have leftover meats, grains, and vegetables, you can combine these into a hearty casserole or flavourful stir-fry, transforming odds and ends into a full meal.

3. Stale to sensational: reviving food past its prime

If you want to revive your stale whole-grain bread, turn it into breadcrumbs or croutons! Simply chop it up, mix it with some olive oil and seasonings of your choice and bake it – great as a condiment on soups or salads. Don’t hate on those wrinkly veggies; you can easily roast them or throw them into a soup. Overripe bananas are great for making healthy, tasty pancakes or banana bread. If you have fruits going a bit mushy, make jam (check out Shann’s recipe), freeze them or toss them into a smoothie.

4. The peel deal: secrets to using every part

You can turn orange peels into candied snacks or marmalade (try use stevia as a sweetener). Click here for another marmalade recipe with chia seeds! You can turn apple, carrot, parsnip, beet, pumpkin, squash and potato peels into sweet and savoury crisps. You can also use citrus zest for baking and cocktails/mocktails or alternatively use citrus peels to infuse vinegar for all-natural, DIY cleaner. Even banana peels and watermelon rinds can be added to smoothies for a boost of fibre.

5. Compost like a pro: give back to Earth

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, composting food scraps is a great way to reduce waste while nourishing your soil. It’s a win-win situation!

What can go in the compost bin? Vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and tea bags.

What can’t go in the compost bin? Meat, dairy, oily foods, which can attract pests.

6. Sip, don’t skip: repurposing leftover coffee and tea

Leftover coffee grounds can be used on the skin as a natural detoxifying exfoliator by combining it coconut and honey. You can also freeze leftover coffee into ice cubes for iced coffee later. As for tea bags, reuse them to flavour grains or add them to your DIY cleaner for a fresh scent. You can add some leftover coffee or tea to the soil in plant pots (but don’t do this more than once per week). Add coffee grounds or tea leaves to your compost to add more nutrients!

7. The power of broth: scraps into superfood

You can make a broth from vegetable scraps, bones, and leftover herbs. It’s a great way to use everything up while creating a nourishing base for soups and sauces packed with nutrients. Adding bones to the broth, also makes it a great source of dietary collagen to help with your gut lining health and repair. The best part? You can freeze the broth in small containers and take one out when you want it.

8. Freeze, don’t toss: the art of storing food for later

You can freeze literally everything before it spoils! Excess fruit and veggies, sauces, batch meals and those quick-to-wilt herbs you always buy but spoil within a few days. You could also add herbs to a mould with either olive oil, butter or lard and freeze it to make herb bombs that you can add to any dish. A great idea is making smoothie packs, homemade popsicles or ice creams with frozen fruit. El made a great article on 5 gut healthy batch cook and freeze dishes.

9. Herb hacks: keeping greens fresh and flavourful

Another excellent way to extend the life of your herbs is by making herb-infused butter or oils to prevent waste. You can also wrap them in a damp paper towel and store them in the fridge to keep them fresh longer. Better yet, grow your own herbs so you’ll always have a fresh supply on hand!

10. Kitchen tools: making waste prevention easy

Investing in some kitchen tools like a dehydrator, food processor, or a blender, can make food preservation easier. A dehydrator can dry foods and significantly extend the shelf life, while a blender or food processor helps you repurpose scraps into smoothies, soups, or sauces. You can even process your dehydrated food into a powder and add it to meals or smoothies for extra flavour and nutrients!

11. The 3 P’s: Plan, prep, preserve

Planning is key to reducing food waste! Make it a habit to check your fridge and pantry before shopping to see what needs to be used up. Plan meals around what’s nearing its expiration date, and practice portion control to avoid over-buying and consequently wasting food you couldn’t use. Dedicate one day a week (I usually choose Sunday) to identify foods that might spoil soon and try prepping or thinking of meals for next week, like curries, stews, soups or dips. You could even batch cook and freeze some of it so you’re not having to cook all week long. Preserve excess by freezing, pickling, canning or drying as needed and adopt a zero-waste mindset. Try using reusable containers like glass jars or tupperware for storage, or take some cloth bags shopping to help cut down on waste, especially single-use plastic.

These fun and practical tips offer creative ways for you to reduce food waste while making the most out of your groceries and keeping your wallet happy! Remember, next time you are about to throw away that excess food, think about what you can do with it – you’ll help yourself and the world. Check out some of Jamie Oliver’s great recipes to reduce food waste. Have a look at our article on 7 ways to eat healthy on a budget!

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.