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How to prevent excessive food wastage? Practical tips
Table of Contents
1. Meal planning and utilizing the shopping list
Planning is a good habit, especially when it comes to shopping. The availability of a wide range of products is a great temptation. If impulse purchasing is typical of our times, it's important to have a shopping list before heading to the store. An iron rule is: do not go to the store hungry. It's easier to plan for the near future, therefore, more frequent shopping in smaller quantities, such as three times a week, is more effective than a single large purchase for the whole week. This way, it's easier to estimate the number of products needed for meal preparation. Within a few days, we can also take into account the state of our supplies and use them in the next dishes. Let's not forget to check the contents of the freezer to avoid duplication of products that may have been waiting there for a long time to be used. If we plan our meals, the likelihood of preparing them in the right amount, so that there is enough for everyone and not too much leftovers, is high. However, there are also cases where food leftovers lie in the fridge for a longer period. It's worth paying more attention to them, packing them in glass containers for food storage and placing them so that we don't forget about them. If they look appetizing, they will certainly tempt us to eat them. Such dishes can be eaten the same day for dinner or used the next day, for example, as a lunch for work.2. Utilize the leftovers from your meals
Here are several ways to utilize the most commonly unused products.3. Oven-baked potatoes with tomatoes
Cut the potatoes left over from the previous meal into thin layers. Hard-boil the egg and then also cut it into thin slices. Slice the tomatoes into layers, and the onion into thin strips. Sauté the onions until they turn brown. Coat a heat-resistant dish with a thin layer of butter. Alternate the layers of potato, egg, tomato, and onion slices. You can drizzle the whole with a slightly salty creamy sauce containing 18% fat. Bake in the oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes.4. A pan-fried salad
If the leaves of your salad are beginning to wilt, you can turn them into a delightful snack. Divide the salad leaves into smaller pieces. Heat a spoonful of vegetable oil (such as rapeseed or olive oil) on the pan, add a chopped garlic clove. Sauté for a short time before adding the salad leaves. Sauté them until they are soft, but make sure they remain slightly crisp. Finally, season with a bit of salt and pepper.5. Herbed cubes
Stale bread can also be utilized in numerous ways, just a touch of creativity is required. It is an excellent choice for preparing herbed crumbs. They can be made by cutting the bread into cubes, frying them in a pan with a small amount of oil, and then sprinkling them with chosen herbs. Prepared in this manner, crumbs can be stored in a sealed glass container for several weeks. Bread crumbs, similar to mashed potatoes and potatoes, can also be baked in the oven, for instance, with cheese and garlic butter.6. Proper method of storing products
In order to prevent food spoilage, it is essential to store food as quickly as possible. Equally important is the way food is stored in refrigerators. It is best to store almost everything, even eggs, cooked (up to 2 days), meat, dairy, some vegetables and fruits, as well as portions of finished meals that we have not eaten. It is also advisable to store fruit and vegetables separately from other products to avoid faster decay. Some modern refrigerators are equipped with an ethylene filter, which allows for longer preservation of the freshness of fruits and vegetables. Freezing is also a good way to extend the shelf life of products. You can freeze fruit, vegetables, sauces, meat, even eggs (also cooked), provided they are placed in the freezer before the expiration date. It is important to label the products before freezing to mark the freezing date. Products that have been frozen once should not be frozen again, unless they have been subjected to heat treatment, such as cooking or baking. Then they can be frozen after preparing the dish.7. Apply the rule of prioritizing older products
The FIFO rule, known to every worker in the catering industry, also applies to managing food products at home. FIFO stands for 'first in, first off.' This means that products purchased first should be consumed earlier than those purchased later. Although it may seem trivial, it is extremely important. Place the products that should be consumed first in places that automatically prompt their use first, such as the first row in the refrigerator or the topmost in the half-bowl. If possible, avoid large stocks and purchase products on an ongoing basis.8. Peruse the labels
A portion of the food is wasted due to misinterpretation of the information on the product label. The term 'use-by date', although similar, has a different meaning than 'minimum durability date'. The former refers to the date after which the consumption of a product may pose a health risk due to food spoilage processes. However, the term 'best by' does not mean that after that date the product becomes unusable, but warns of a potential deterioration in flavor or quality. In most cases, products can be used without any concern for food safety. Therefore, products should not be discarded after the minimum durability date – it is better to check if they are still fit for consumption. If so, there is no reason not to use them. Unfortunately, both terms are treated equally under the Act of 25 August 2006 on the safety of food and nutrition, and products with both designations cannot be in circulation after the set date. However, as conscious consumers, we can reduce waste by using products after their minimum durability date.
