|
There are thousands of people across the world, who cannot even afford to eat three square meals. But on the other hand, there are people who have the money and resources to buy so much food that they finally end up throwing out a large portion of it. There are also people who are unable to anticipate and calculate their food requirements as a result of which they tend to buy more than they need and so the excess food often goes bad and has to be thrown out. All of us would have had to waste food at some point of time but there are several ways in which you can prevent food wastage.
As little children, if you were threatened with “no dessert if you don’t finish your veggies”, you are not alone. Many people have had to miss their favorite treats as children, because they refused to finish all that was on their plate.
Many adults too, end up eating more than they really need to, or even want to, just for the sake of preventing food waste. However, most of us are not aware of the fact that food wastage does not only mean throwing food away; it also means consuming more food than a body really needs. People, who are forcing themselves or their children to eat more than is needed by the body, are responsible for the indirect wastage of food too.
Therefore, many of us are aware that this is a big problem and try our best to stop food waste, in our own way. However, our minor attempts to avoid food waste do not seem to be very effective, in the long run, perhaps due to lack of adequate knowledge. Studies indicate that the problem of food wastage all over the world, including the United States, has now reached mind-boggling heights.
There are many people who argue that personal attempts to stop food waste are bound to fail, as most of the wastage takes place on a larger scale; however, despite the major food distribution and waste issues, most of us could help save food waste, if all of us took the right steps. Fortunately, more people are now becoming conscious of the environment and are looking for ways and means on how to stop food waste, not just to help the economy and the environment, but also to save themselves some money. In order to stop food wastage successfully, the problem needs to be addressed from its root cause.
Therefore, people need to understand the factors that lead to wastage, in order to stop wasting food effectively. Large amounts of food can be wasted by three different entities; farms, retail or food outlets (including restaurants) and households. In the wider picture, some of the main causes of food wastage include the standards and the regulations that have been set for the quality and the appearance of food. However, you too, could be contributing towards food waste if you frequently prepare more food than what you and your family really need. A recent study shows that in the United States, the waste of food per year, from households alone, is worth around fifty billion dollars. This means that a considerable amount of money can be saved by every house, just by making an effort to minimize food wastage.
Ways to Reduce Food Waste: - When shopping for food items, make your grocery list essentials in advance and stay glued to what’s on the list. You can also allocate a small amount of money that you can spend on snacks. This will ensure that you get to spend a little extra on yourself without going overboard.
- Another way to prevent food wastage is to avoid buying food impulsively. Cooked food has a tendency to go bad quite fast if it is not stored properly.
- Tempted by the ‘buy one and get one free’ offers that supermarkets tempt consumers with? We suggest you just buy what is essential and stay away from products that you don’t need. If you wish to avail of these offers, make sure that you check the expiry date and calculate whether it would be a good option for you.
- If you’ve cooked or bought extra food, then save the leftovers in the freezer. Use that food the next day. Make it a point not to cook or order more food if you have food in the freezer.
- If you have a habit of wasting fresh food, then we suggest you keep a food diary, where you must jot down everything that you throw away. From a banana to yesterday’s pizza, that extra loaf of bread to the cup cakes, jot down everything that lands up in the bin. Once you know what you’re throwing away, you can curb your problem.
- Plan your weekly menus over the weekend or jot down your menu every day, and make sure that you stick to it. This way, you can buy food according to what you need.
- Cook just one meal for the family at every mealtime, instead of pandering to everybody’s whims and fancies.
- With technology at your fingertips, we suggest that you shop for groceries online. This can not only save time but also the temptation to add more things to your shopping cart.
- Try to cook your meals from scratch, and use healthy raw foods and condiments. You will be able to keep a check on the ingredients and the quantity if you cook at home. Freeze the leftovers for the next day.
On average, households could save more than a hundred dollars a month, if they take the right steps to reduce food waste. Fortunately, there are several tips that they could follow in order to do so. Given below are a some more effective ways to stop food waste:
Planning Meals Carefully This is the most important way through which you can prevent food waste and reduce your food bills. Take stock of all the food that is in your refrigerator, freezer and larder. When you go shopping for groceries, make sure that you have a list ready and stick to it. Do not buy things that you don’t need or already have; in case you are keen on trying something new make sure that you buy the smallest quantity that you can. Buying a big quantity, just because it works out cheaper could actually prove to be more costly, if you have to throw most of it away. Many men and women plan weekly or even monthly menus and shop accordingly, to help them reduce food waste at home. Using Up Leftovers This is not just a tip on how to prevent food waste, but it could help you save a lot of time in cooking and shopping too. Pack last night’s left overs in a box, or make a salad or a sandwich out of it and carry it to lunch, to save yourself a considerable amount of money, as you do not need to buy lunch. Fruits that are going soft can easily be made into smoothies and vegetables that have been in the fridge can be added to any soup. There are thousands of recipes easily available on the net, or through recipe books that can help you with tricks and tips on how not to waste food, by using up your left overs. Using A Good Storage System Many people feel that at times, their attempts on how to control food wastage are useless, because their refrigerators are not very powerful and food goes off very fast. Hence, in order to keep the food from going bad too fast, it is important for you to ensure that your refrigerator is in good condition and the settings are just right, for the freezer as well as the food storage area. For maximum longevity and freshness, all food should be stored at a temperature between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius. Filling the refrigerator up too much could also reduce some of its efficiency and therefore, one of the ways to prevent food waste is to make sure that only those items that need to be refrigerated are given place in the fridge. Order Small Portions A lot of the wastage takes place when we eat out, due to the large portions served by many restaurants. One of the ways not to waste food is by ordering a small quantity, like perhaps from the children’s menu, when eating alone. Alternately, in case there are two people to eat, it may be best to order one portion with a side dish, and divide it all. Many individuals who eat out frequently make it a point to carry their left overs in a doggie bag, which they consume the very next day. This saves them the trouble of cooking as well as a couple of dollars. There is a lot of information on other methods on how to reduce food waste, easily available through various resources.
|