It’s estimated that we throw away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in the UK each year. But what can we do about it?
A re you sure you don’t to finish that sandwich? One more bite? You might change your mind when you learn that around £14billion of edible food is wasted each year in the UK. Luckily, there are plenty of different ways we can curb wastefulness. Here are some of our favourites…
EMBRACE UGLY FOOD
Ever discarded a cucumber at the supermarket because it looks a bit weird? Maybe it’s slightly bent, or has a black bit on it. Either way, it’ll still taste the same, so now’s the time to start putting unwanted produce into your basket – otherwise it will be tossed (and not into a salad). Want to try it for yourself? Many supermarkets now sell ‘wonky veg’ at a reduced price, meaning you can save your bank balance as well as the planet, and there are also companies offering wonky veg boxes on a subscription basis such as Odd Box (oddbox.co.uk) and Wonky Veg Boxes (wonkyvegboxes.co.uk).
TRY ROOT TO STEM COOKING
Using the entire vegetable when cooking, including the roots, leaves and tops, can boost your nutrient intake and keep your bin empty. Broccoli leaves, for example, are packed with vitamin A and an ounce of these greens can provide you with 90 percent of your recommended daily amount. Try chopping them finely and using them as a garnish or cooking them like spinach. Broccoli and cauliflower stems are also incredibly nutritious, containing more calcium, vitamin C and fibre than the actual florets. So by using them, not only do you avoid throwing half of the vegetable away, you’ll also boost your nutrient intake. And those carrot tops? Yep, you guessed it, you can use them too. Try making them into pesto or cooking them in a soup – they’re full of protein, minerals and vitamins.
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED
It’s instinctive to dump peel but you’re throwing away useful fibre, with orange peel boasting four times as much as the fruit itself, as well as vitamin C and antioxidants. Not convinced? Try using the zest in teas, baking, salads or stews. What about vegetables? Just like with kale, you could turn your peelings into a crispy, tasty snack simply by tossing them in oil and baking them until crisp. Yum!
GET APPY
Forget mindlessly scrolling Instagram, instead why not use your phone for the power of good? There are plenty of apps which have been designed to help reduce food waste. Here are some of the ones we love..
1. Too Go
