10 tips to stop food wastage and start saving money!

I have always know that the UK is bad for wasting food. Latest figures from the Guardian show that on average £13bn of food is wasted every year, with around 24 meals a month going in the bin in each household. This is after 50% of the food we grow doesn't even make it off the farm because of 'quality' issues.

However, this was really highlighted to me when I spoke to my Latvian housemate about what Eastern Europeans think of Britain; the first thing she said was how shocking the food wastage is here which really struck me. Is this what we are now known for? I think it's terrible, but I know I'm bad myself. Since this conversation, I've been really thinking about reducing food wastage in the home and have been trying to implement more strategies to keep my food wastage low. I hope everyone can find some good ideas here and it really makes people think. With climate change and the pressures farmers face anyway growing food, and taking care of British farmers should be our number one priority, everyone has to eat.

1. Buy frozen fruit or veg where possible, then you always have some in and it stays fresh for a long time.

2.Buy a juicer! when fruit and veg start to go past its prime that doesn't mean it will make you ill to eat it. Juicing can be a really good way of using a bit of old salad leaves the odd apple and carrot up and it's super healthy too!

3. If you know you aren't going to cook something soon freeze it! Don't just leave it to go past its prime in the fridge.

4. Buy food that is seasonal (see the previous post), seasonal food will last longer in the fridge.

5. Always save leftovers for a soup, stew or curry. One of my favourite things to do with leftover mash potato is to make potato cakes and fry it up with an egg! If you have leftover cows milk or coconut milk pour it into an ice cube container and freeze! Then you can pop one out to add into a soup or curry made with other tasty leftovers!Mmm

6. Always write a shopping list and plan meals ahead so that you use what you buy and always have food ready when you are hungry.

7. Store jars of jam and chutneys upside down to keep them airtight and keep it fresher for longer!Also, make sure your fridge is not over full as this will stop the cold air circulating and keeping all the food cool.

8. Make sure you have a compost bin in your garden!

9.Create a soup bag of odds and ends and put these in the freezer, these can then be used to make veg stock.

10. Never throw bruised fruit away! Apple butter and banana ice cream are amazing ways to use up fruit.

I hope you all enjoy my list, this is something I really want to focus on this year as I find it disgusting.To combat this further, I'm considering writing a petition on stopping supermarkets being allowed to put standards like hight length clour size etc on veg so less goes to waste on the farm. I think this is ridiculous and needs to stop!

:)