7 ways to reduce waste, boost flavour and make yourself feel good.
We all want to live long healthy lives, leaving a small footprint on this beautiful planet and knowing that we did our best for ourselves and future generations. Don’t we? There are so many ways to achieve this but one is by seriously minimising food waste. Waste food that ends up in landfill produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Resources required to grow or rear our food in the form of water, land and energy are wasted if the food is just thrown away and could be reduced if we consume less and preserve more.
These are some tips on how I manage my food. It takes a bit of planning and a bit of time but it’s worth it for the planet, for my own finances, for saving time in the end and ultimately for the great flavours.
Manage your fridge – perhaps plan meals but you can just keep an eye on dates and quality. Best before, is a guide. You need to use your own senses and sense.
Make stock – not only is it fantastically nutritious but it also uses all the bones, outside leaves, ends of bunches of herbs and veg that needs using. I use a slow cooker and fill it with the debris I have collected and frozen for this purpose. (Recipe on site).
Pesto – another great user upper. It’s basically something green, nuts, cheese and olive oil, (Italians may argue this point). I use kale, spinach, chard leaves, rocket, a little basil from the garden and a mix of nuts and seeds to boost the nutrient density. (Recipe on site).
Cook and freeze – if things are nearing their time, cook them, make a stew and freeze it.
Freeze fruit – sliced lemons are great for drinks, halved for cakes and smoothies. Same with bananas and of course berries. Cubes of stewed apples and pears frozen in ice cube trays can be added to bolognese, tomato sauces or defrosted for a pudding.
Coffee and eggshells – coffee scattered over the beds in the garden or into a pot, provides nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, working as a gentle fertiliser. The shells boost the calcium content of the soil and whatever you grow in it, like broccoli. Good for your bones and teeth.
Cheese – I keep the rinds of Parmesan in the freezer and pop a couple in a brewing soup for an umami twist.
There will still be waste but that can go in your compost bin, either for council compost or to nourish your own garden whether it’s to make flowers for the bees or delicious herbs, fruit and vegetables for you and your family. It feels good to add to the cycle of life. We can see it is being so challenged by the environment our over consumption and complacency have created. Waste not, want not, as the saying goes.
If you would like to contact me for any more food related advice please pop me a message here