Food waste? 12 tips to avoid
It has happened to almost everyone before? they cooked too much and could not use everything anymore or forgot a product in the fridge, which eventually became moldy. It even happens that you find chocolate when mucking out the cabinets, which already expired in 2015. Food waste is produced daily, but it would be largely avoidable. To be specific: according to WWF, around 18 million tonnes of food are lost each year in Germany, and more than half of that could have been prevented.
Consequences of food waste
The food waste has in addition to the ethical reprehensibility drastic consequences for the environment, Be converted for about 2.6 million hectares of valuable agricultural land for freethat is, wasting valuable resources such as water, soil and energy. Many losses occur along the value chain, ie already during the harvest or when transporting the food. Food is also wasted in wholesale, retail and gastronomy. However, about 40% also have private households to answer forwhy each individual should deal with it and question his consumer behavior. There are a few tips and measures that can be used to actively combat the food waste listed below.
Reasons for the food waste
- One of the main reasons of food waste is the Shelf life of products, People throw food away because they are spoiled, look unappetizing, or have passed the sell-by date (MHD).
- Also significant lot of problems at home (too much cooked or too much on the plate) or already when shopping (too large packs, wrong planning).
Tips or measures against food waste
1. Plan the purchase properly
Everything starts with the purchase of food. You should think carefully about what you need and want to cook in the next few days. Do you eat every day at home, maybe visit? It is also important to check regularly what you have in stock. A grocery list It can help to buy the right amount of food that you really need. Especially for perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables and meat, care should be taken not to buy them too long in advance and to use them quickly.
2. Do not be seduced in the supermarket
It is Beware of large packaging and special offers, One should not be seduced in the supermarket, but compare prices and quality carefully, instead of having to throw away half of a XXL packaging after a few days. In addition: Never go shopping with an empty stomach, because then the shopping cart is quickly fuller than wanted.
3. Store and store food properly
Proper food storage prolongs their shelf life. In the fridge there are simple rules in which subjects fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products, etc. should be stored. Generally it is helpful older goods forward to make sure that you always have them in mind and do not forget. Potatoes, pasta and onions need a dry, dark place outside the fridge. Bread stays fresh longer uncut in a bread box or a clay pot.
Ingested foods should be in well closable containers decanted or covered with cling film to increase shelf life and prevent pests. Here are plenty of tips on how to properly store and store food.
4. Do not cook too much
Sounds simple? it is. Before cooking on your body, you should hear how hungry you are (and others who are eating, ask how hungry they are). And if something is left over, keep the leftovers well packed in the fridge or until the next day freeze.
5. Understand the best before date (MHD) correctly
Just because that Expiration Date (MHD) has expired, does not mean that you have to throw away a food or it is no longer edible. It only indicates how long a product has at least its characteristic features such as consistency and color. It can be edible for a long time afterwards. Pasta e.g. are still durable for many years after the expiry date. If you are unsure whether a product is still edible, you can smell it, see what it looks like (if, for example, mold has formed) or try it. The MHD is not to be confused with the expiry datewhich is indicated, for example, on perishable products such as fish or meat.
6. Use residues
There are many great recipes to process leftovers, A classic use for old bread or old bread are breadcrumbs or bread dumplings.Pasta, rice or potatoes can be spiced up the next day by frying them and making eggs or a delicious sauce. Also for leftover cakes there are numerous uses such as e.g. these delicious rum balls. Here you will find ideas on how to make chocolate Christmas men or Easter bunnies useful.
Even unsightly fruits and vegetables can be prepared super smoothies and soups.
7. Seasonal and regional shopping
Seasonal fruits and vegetables last longer and have one higher vitamin content as foods that are grown in the greenhouse under high energy consumption. Buying fruit and vegetables from the region also helps Save energy for long transport routes and promotes the local economy. Foods imported from far away countries often suffer damage during transport and have to be sorted out.
8. Use helpful apps and websites
On sites like?Food Sharing? you can deliver food, share it with other people and share it. Especially when you go on vacation or have a lot left, such platforms help enormously to tackle the food waste. Learn more about public refrigerators here? Fair Dividers ?.
There are also apps that help to reduce food waste. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has the app?Too good for the bin? which provides creative recipes for leftovers, facilitates shopping planning through lists, and provides tips on storage and shelf life of products. Using the app?Too Good To Go? For reduced prices, users can pick up delicious food from nearby restaurants that would otherwise have been thrown away (for example, from bakeries and restaurants).
9. Crooked and ugly? Buy fruits and vegetables
Does a carrot, cucumber or banana have to look perfect to taste delicious? Of course not. A Eggplant with a scratch or an apple with a light brown spot tastes just as delicious as flawless fruit or vegetables, A large part is even not even harvested due to the appearance or does not go on sale because it does not meet the standard and the optical requirements. However, there are platforms like?etepetete? and ?beet Savior? who sell exactly those fruits and vegetables from farmers who did not make it into the bargain.
10th leftovers party with friends
You notice that the vegetables are getting bad soon or the potatoes are already long enough in the closet? Why not buy too much groceries Take the opportunity to invite family, friends or neighbors to dinner? Also Cook together makes a lot of fun!
11. Use food completely
Did you know that one Green of lots of vegetables work great can? From the green leaves of radish you can conjure a delicious pesto. Carrot greens can be processed into herb-vegetable salt or vegetable stock. Also kohlrabi and beetroot leaves can be e.g. to prepare soups and salads. Vegetable greens often contain even more vitamins than the actual tuber.
Many use broccoli to cook only the florets, although you can also use the stem, which tastes similar to kohlrabi, super.
12. Take leftovers in the restaurant & festivals
Food is thrown away massively in the restaurant every day. The customer can combat the food waste by himself to pack uneaten food for the home leaves. Even at celebrations such as weddings and birthdays, there is almost always something left over that you can just take a part of? So you have a great lunch or a dessert for the next day.
It is worth taking the tips to heart as you are doing something for the environment while at the same time saving money.
