In France, 38 kg of consumable food is thrown in the trash every second for various reasons. This is not without consequences for our environment and for future generations. Here are 10 rules to avoid food waste.
Opt for organic meal boxes
Organic meal boxes are ingredient supply services to help you make healthy meals while avoiding food waste. In France, there are several companies qualified in the supply of organic meal boxes. Subscribe to this service and receive at your home weekly a suitable quantity of ingredients for your kitchen.
Store your food better
A large part of household waste is spoiled food. Many people have no idea how to properly store fruits, vegetables, etc. A good start would be not to mix foods that produce more ethylene with those that do not. Ethylene promotes the ripening of foods and can also cause them to deteriorate.
Don’t give up ugly fruits and vegetables
Have you ever rummaged through a bin at the supermarket and picked out the most perfect fruit? This attitude encourages food waste. Although ugly in appearance, fruits and vegetables are similar in taste and nutrients.
First in, first out
This method allows you to consume older purchases before moving on to more recent ones. To do this, put your new purchases behind your old purchases so that you don’t lose sight of them.
Be innovative with leftovers
Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed. Use leftover rice from last night to make fried rice. Use leftover cereal for family lunch then pile the cooked proteins onto tortillas for a great taco.
This seems like tedious work, but it won’t take you hours. The advantage of this action will be to allow you to buy only the ingredients you need for your meals. This will protect you from impulsive purchases and therefore waste.
Reinvent faded products
You can cut up, refrigerate your ripe bananas and then turn them into smoothies. Spotted apples and berries can be used for baking. To make a vegetable soup you can use aged carrots, green beans and celery.
Take stock temporarily
Before any purchase, take stock of everything you already have in your refrigerator. This won’t take you much time and will allow you to limit your purchases to what is necessary.
Pay attention to expiration dates
Knowing the expiration date of a product allows you to consume it in time so as not to have to throw it away. However, pay attention to the different styles of expiration dates. The inscription “Best before” means that after this date, you can consume the food. The inscription “Consume by” means that after this date, consuming the food may be dangerous for your health.
Pay attention to the cold chain
When shopping, fresh produce should be taken last. You should tie them together and ideally put them in an insulated bag to maintain their temperature.