Did you know that every year in Europe alone, 88 million tons of food is wasted? That’s about 92 kilograms of food per person per year that we just throw away*. If we all think about ways to reduce that waste, we’ll not only be doing ourselves (and our wallets) a favor, we’ll also be helping the planet. Check out our tips to reduce food waste in this article and give them a try!
Did you know that every year in Europe alone, 88 million tons of food is wasted?
Plan your shopping & use what you have
It all starts with what you buy. So let’s take a look at that trip to the grocery store. You’re standing in the middle of the supermarket and suddenly, you’re overwhelmed with a craving for anything you can sink your teeth into. Your stomach is growling fiercely, demanding food this instant. Five minutes later, you’ve ended up with a cart full of groceries that you didn’t need but bought anyway.
Our tip? Prepare your trip to the supermarket by writing a well-organized list and never ever go shopping on an empty stomach.
Or what about this situation: You get home from the supermarket, start unpacking the groceries, and find yourself stacking tin upon tin to make everything fit in your cupboard.
Sound familiar? Maybe it’s a good time to do things differently and start cooking from your cupboard. You’ll be amazed at the number of recipes you can prepare by starting with what you already have and just adding a few simple fresh ingredients.
Recipes from scraps
A great way to reduce food waste is to look at the food we buy in a new way. Imagine what you could make with every part of the ingredients you use. Show some love to that broccoli stem, use a whole cauliflower (yes, all of it!) or get creative with potato peel. There are so many great dishes you can prepare with our plant-based ingredients! So, our challenge to you is: Don’t throw away your scraps! They could form the basis for a delicious new dish.
Check out our No Waste Salad made of broccoli stems, pumpkin seeds and carrot tops. Or maybe you will feel inspired by our No Waste Cauliflower Rice recipe where you can use a full cauliflower. And if you don't know what to do about your potato peels, our No Waste Burger recipe will be perfect for you!
Leftovers: The gift that keeps on giving
Did you go a bit overboard when you were cooking last night? Are you stuck with a pan full of food and no idea what to do with it? Just grab your food containers and try the following:
Store a few portions in the freezer. Most food items will keep 3-6 months when properly stored. And if you’ve made something delicious, you’ll probably not even last three weeks before you reach for the freezer to make yourself a quick, easy and tasty dinner.
Surprise your family, friends or neighbors with your home cooking. Gifts are always nice, and if they involve free food, you’re not only making good use of your leftovers, you’re also making your friends’ lives easier. And as a bonus, you can get them to try some of your plant-based cooking. It’s a win-win.
Have your leftovers for lunch! If you’re on the clock and racing from one email to the next, planning your lunch can be tricky. The last thing you want is to get hangry in the middle of an important meeting, so think ahead and just bring your leftovers. They’ll give you all the energy you need when your to-do list seems to be bigger than your appetite.
These are just a few ideas to get you started on this topic, but there are so many more possibilities! Just browse the web for more inspiration and if you have a tip for us, share it with us on our socials.
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