[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #71CCD5;”] D[/dropcap]id you know 1/3 of the worlds food gets wasted?
And that there is enough food produced in the world to feed everyone?
I know.
But the good news is when we minimize food waste in our homes.
We make a difference in the world.
I hope todays lesson empowers you to make some changes for the better.
But don’t feel pressured!
There’s no need to be perfect.
Any change you can make is a step in the right direction.
Baby steps 🙂
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- 3 Steps to Avoiding Wasted Ingredients
- A Simple Idea for Reducing Waste
3 Steps to Avoiding Wasted Ingredients
STEP 1. Rotate
This is subtle but can really make all the difference.
The idea is when you put new items into the fridge, you try and position them at the back and bring the older items to the front.
I’m usually pretty good at doing this with my fresh produce.
I usually keep veg in the crisper drawer and on the bottom shelf of my fridge (I eat a lot of veggies!).
So when I come home from the markets, I pull out the old things that need eating up.
Put away the new veg.
Then return the older veg to the fridge at the front so I’ll remember to eat them first.
The second part of this concept is to rotate leftovers.
Bring the older ones to the front and put newer ones to the back.
Turns out I’m not always so brilliant at this, especially when I’ve done a photo shoot and have loads of leftovers.
STEP 2. Really look each day
It’s funny how we can open the fridge door but not really ‘see’ what’s in there.
While step 1 helps to make the looking part easier, it’s still important to have a good look each day.
I find asking yourself ‘what needs eating up here?‘ can help identify and avoid unnecessary waste.
It also helps with deciding what to cook and eat.
STEP 3. Take action as needed
This is the ‘business’ end of the process.
It’s one thing to know you have some chicken breast that is close to its use buy date.
But unless you make a plan to cook said chicken or pop it in the freezer, it won’t be saved from the waste bin.
The three most common ways I take action are:
1. Eat it
2. Cook it
3. Freeze it.
Not exactly rocket science, but easy to forget.
The power to avoid waste is within you!
And if you need more specific tips, see the Ingredient Storage training.
Or look at the ‘waste avoidance strategy’ I include beneath each recipe.
A Simple Idea for Reducing Waste
This is a concept I’ve been experimenting (and having loads of fun with) in recent months.
I call it the ‘The Magical Jar of Random Bites’.
And it’s amazing how much food I’ve been saving this way.
Basically I started keeping a Mason-style jar of ‘random bites’ in the fridge to save any leftover little morsels from my plate or the boys.
Or any little bits of leftovers that aren’t enough to make another meal on their own.
Instead of feeding them to the chickens.
I then challenge myself to use my ‘random jar’ first when building my Abundance Bowl lunches and dinners.
And you know what?
There hasn’t been a single time when something has tasted bad.
Plenty of times when I’ve thought ‘I’m not sure this will go together…’.
But not once have I had to ‘force’ myself to eat something icky.
In fact they’ve been really delicious.
And even better, I’m noticing that we’re using significantly less food.
Which means less shopping.
Win win!
If you’d like to try this for yourself, it’s super easy.
Just save any random bites in a Mason jar / any jar / container and use them in your next meal.
SUMMARY:
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- The 3 steps to reduce waste are to rotate, really look in the fridge each day and take action as needed.
- Keeping a jar of ‘Random Bites’ is a great way to reduce waste.
ACTIVITY
Today’s activity is simple and very powerful.
Next time you’re in the kitchen, take 2 minutes to have a good look in your fridge.
Check in all the drawers.
Look everywhere.
Move any ingredients that need using up in the next few days to a more prominent place so you can’t miss them.
Think of a plan to use the ingredient that needs using the most. Will you eat it, cook it, or freeze it?
Repeat every day.
LEARN MORE
See the Reducing Food Waste Bonus Training.
It includes:
- How Do You Know When Food is Still ‘Safe to Eat’?
- An Insiders Guide to Best Before Dates
- Sustainable Shopping Tips
- 3 Steps to Avoiding Wasted Ingredients
- 4 steps to cure refrigerator ‘blindness’
- Commonly Wasted Ingredients + Clever Ideas for Using Them Up
- Reducing Kitchen Disposables
- Ideas + Recipes for Leftovers
Keep it simple (and fun) in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
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