Our site uses cookies to give you the best experience. or continue shopping if you're happy.
Accept & close
How to reduce food waste
Sometimes food seems to spoil faster than you can get through it. That’s why we’ve put together some tips to help you use what you’ve got, find clever ways to keep it at its best, and make sure you’re only buying what you need – and not a bag more.
Whether you’ve filled the fridge freezer for friends coming around or you just can’t keep up with your supermarket hauls, the downside to stocking up is that you can end up with more food than you need. And it doesn’t help that supermarkets only sell courgettes in packs of 3 when you only need 1. We’ll help you keep on top of what you’ve got and help you plan well to save good food and money.
Use leftovers
It sounds simple, use up your leftovers instead of binning them. But we get it, it’s all too easy to forget they’re there after you’ve used the ingredients you needed. We’ve got tons of recipe ideas that’ll help you put those spare bits and bobs to really good use
Plan your shop
How often do you go shopping hungry or get a burst of inspiration and pick up food you don’t need or won’t get around to using? Save your pennies by only picking up what you need from an organised list. The best way to figure out what’s an essential is to make a meal plan for the week and list the ingredients you need for each recipe. If you know what you’re having every single day, you won’t go overboard when you get to the supermarket. And if you need some help getting going, we have our very own meal planer that you can print out and take with you.
Store it right
Start as you mean to go on by popping your groceries in the right places as soon as you’re home from the big shop. That’ll help keep your food in the best conditions for freshness, flavours, and texture, so more ends up on your plate instead of in the bin.
Fridge
Most fruit and veggies belong in the fridge to lock in natural flavours and textures for longer. There are some exceptions, so we’ve listed them here. Plus, we’ve got extra storage hacks that can help them stay fresher.
Temperature
Make sure the fridge freezer temperature set between 0°C and 5°C as this will help everything, including meat, fish, and dairy, last that bit longer. For models with number settings instead of temperatures, we’ve broken it down for you here. Sometimes, fridge dials aren’t too accurate, so if your food seems to be spoiling quicker than usual, try picking up a fridge thermometer to double check that’s not the problem.
Freezing
If you’ve batch cooked like a pro this week and can’t keep up with all the tasty meals you’ve been whipping up, separate them into single portion sizes and pop them in the freezer for another day. That means you can have an easy dinner next week (and save some money on the food shop) or take a homemade lunch to work – your colleagues will be green with envy. Remember to label and date everything you put in the freezer, or you’ll be at risk of trying out mystery meals.
Airtight containers
You can finally put that pile of tubs to good use. By popping any opened cupboard staples in an airtight container, you limit food’s exposure to air and moisture, which stops them going stale or mouldy.
Good to know
Got some food you just won’t get through in time, no matter what? Then there are apps that can help you find someone who might need it. Olio lets you give food to people nearby to save it ending up in the bin – and you can save yourself a trip to the shops when you only need an onion to round out that recipe. It’s also worth checking Too good to go if you’re at a loose end one evening. It lets restaurants give food away at a heavily discounted price, so you can have a treat and save some pennies on a takeaway.
- How does organisation help with food waste?
Getting organised helps you keep on top of what’s in the fridge or what you need for the week. If you can keep track of what’s what, you’re more likely to use ingredients before they go out of date. It can also help you store your food in the right place for freshness.
- Which foods can be frozen to reduce waste?
Lots of food can be frozen, including fruits, veggies, meat, and fish. Just make sure any meat or fish is thoroughly defrosted before you start cooking it. Pre-cooked meals are also great to freeze, so you don’t have to cook from scratch every day.
- What is the difference between best before and use by?
Use-by dates tell you when food is unsafe to eat, so you should always follow them to a tee. The best before date is more of a guideline. It means your food will taste as good as possible before that date and might lose flavour or texture after – but, importantly, it’s still safe to eat if it’s stored correctly. Sometimes, it’s not worth risking a recipe on an ingredient that’s a bit past its best.
