Today is World Food Day and the theme for this year is "Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition".
This got me thinking about what I can do in my own home to become more sustainable and reduce my wastage… here are some ideas that I found on the internet:
- If you have herbs that you are not going to use before they go bad, you can freeze and preserve them in olive oil (click here for full details).
- Plan out your meals and make a shopping list each week, so you only buy what you actually need.
- Buy in quantities that you can realistically use. Two-for-one specials are not a bargain if you end up throwing the other item away because you can't use it before it goes rotten.
- Take leftovers for lunch the next day, rather than throwing them away, or put them in the freezer to heat up another day. Soups, stews, and casseroles are ideal for freezing.
- If you have lots of lemons you can freeze them in slices or you can just freeze the juice as ice cubes, then transfer them to a freezer bag to use at a later date (click here for full details). You can do the same thing with leftover chicken stock.
- Keep nuts in the freezer so that they don't go rancid. Make sure you keep them in an air tight container.
- Compost your waste rather than sending it to landfill. The Auckland Council run free courses that teach you how to compost (calendar) or you can check out their website for more information.