The trail of breadcrumbs in the doomed path to food waste leads directly to your kitchen.

While the issue of wasted food has a lot to do with what’s on your plate, it also, more significantly, has to do with what isn’t.

Between four to ten per cent of food purchased is thrown out before even reaching one’s plate, according to LeanPath, creators of automated food waste tracking systems in the US.

According to US-based Natural Resources Defense Council, about two-thirds of household waste is due to food spoilage from not being used in time, whereas the other one-third is caused by people cooking or serving too much.

Today is World Food Day [October 16], and this year’s theme focuses on the need for sustainable food systems, in light of the fact that almost 870 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished.

It’s a lot to have on one’s conscience. But there are quick and easy ways of limiting the quantity of food that makes it to the trash bin.

We journey from your kitchen counter to the supermarket aisles to ensure you plan your meals in the most efficient way possible.

 

Storage

The kitchen cupboard is the nerve center of the kitchen.

• Be prepared – Keeping it well-stocked with sauces, chutneys and herbs means you save unnecessary trips to the grocery store. More importantly, you will always have ingredients at hand to throw together a quick meal, even a meal made entirely of leftovers or items that are expiring soon.

• Organise yourself – Use a marker pen to write expiry dates clearly on each canned item. This way, you can see at a glance which must be consumed soonest. Move older items to the front of the cupboard and put newly-bought items at the back. You can check the shelf life of virtually every product you buy on websites such as Still Tasty.

• Keep it fresh – Most fresh foods remain for longer if chilled. Freezing your food will make it last, especially items that you don’t think you will be eating soon.

• Be creative with leftovers – Leftover bread can become croutons, excess rice can become fried rice, leftover fruit can be a dessert topping or go into a smoothie, and vegetable trimmings can help form a base for soups, sauces, and stocks. There are also hundreds of recipes on the internet that involve using leftovers, on websites like EatingWell.com and BigOven.com. Give them a try.

Source: LoveFoodHateWaste.com

 

Portion planning

Dr Jane Darakjian, nutrition consultant at Manchester Clinic, Dubai, said the average adult consumes about 1,500 calories a day.

She said: “Breakfast should roughly consist of about 400-500 calories, lunch should have 500-600 calories and dinner must comprise 300-400 calories. Based on this, if you are fully aware of what your meal plan is for the day, or the week, it will help you reduce wasteful purchases at the supermarket.”

The UK-based Love Food Hate Waste campaign has a portion planner that removes the guesswork from meal-planning and calculates the right amount of food to prepare for your family – with zero waste.

When eating out at a restaurant, following one simple rule would make all the difference, according to Dr Darakjian.

“Don’t throw anything away. If you’re too full to finish your meal, take it away. Give it to someone else if you don’t think you’ll eat it later.”

 

Shopping list

Perfectly edible food gets thrown away to make room for new versions, because consumers often shop without checking to see if they already have the item at home.

• Making a shopping list before visiting the supermarket is key to reducing food waste.

• Assess the contents of your kitchen cupboards, refrigerator and freezer before creating a list.

• Write a meal plan for the week so you buy only what you need. Shopping for meal-specific ingredients can drastically help reduce waste, according to Love Food Hate Waste.

 

At the store

• Have a snack before you go. Dr Darakjian said: “When you head to the supermarket, your stomach should be at least one-third or half-full. Do not go shopping on an empty stomach. Psychologically, if you are hungry, you end up satisfying your craving by buying impulsively, for instance buying a box of something instead of a packet. It ends up getting wasted.”

• Check the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ dates on the food you plan to buy. Choose longer dates for items you won’t use immediately.

• Avoid wholesale deals, unless you are sure your household can consume the food.

• Shopping little and often can help you stop buying so much that food goes off before you have the chance to use it.

Source: Waste and Resources Action Programme