Three ways to reduce food waste at your home
How much food do you think is wasted in the world in one year? Only in the EU around
88 million tonnes of food waste are generated annually. It’s a huge quantity considering
that all over the world there are people starving and the environment is greatly
damaged. If you think that food waste is not your problem, you’re wrong: food waste
starts in your own home. I was part of the people who didn’t pay attention to what
they wasted, but after I got informed, I changed my mind. There are many things
you can do to reduce food waste and save the environment, for example you can
follow these three easy steps at your home: plan your shopping, check the dates,
and freeze the food.
88 million tonnes of food waste are generated annually. It’s a huge quantity considering
that all over the world there are people starving and the environment is greatly
damaged. If you think that food waste is not your problem, you’re wrong: food waste
starts in your own home. I was part of the people who didn’t pay attention to what
they wasted, but after I got informed, I changed my mind. There are many things
you can do to reduce food waste and save the environment, for example you can
follow these three easy steps at your home: plan your shopping, check the dates,
and freeze the food.
First of all, planning your meals for a week and checking the ingredients in your
fridge are good ways to save food. For example at home I usually eat what I like in
that moment without considering what food was in my fridge. Very often I threw away
vegetables and food I could use to prepare my meals. It wasn’t so easy to change my
habits but I had to and now I’m learning to plan my weekly meals. When I go to
the supermarket, I know exactly what to buy and I try to avoid extra food that I don’t
need. I also try to respect my schedule every day and I’ve noticed that the amount
of food waste is considerably reduced.
fridge are good ways to save food. For example at home I usually eat what I like in
that moment without considering what food was in my fridge. Very often I threw away
vegetables and food I could use to prepare my meals. It wasn’t so easy to change my
habits but I had to and now I’m learning to plan my weekly meals. When I go to
the supermarket, I know exactly what to buy and I try to avoid extra food that I don’t
need. I also try to respect my schedule every day and I’ve noticed that the amount
of food waste is considerably reduced.
Next check the dates! If you are not planning to eat a certain type of food with
a short “use by” date, look for a longer “use by” date or just plan to buy it on the
day you require it. This is linked to the step of planning your meals. You have to
eat first the food with a shorter “use by” date in order to avoid wasting them. Food
products are still safe to consume even after the indicated “best before” day. So
don’t be scared by the date. It only suggest you when it is better to consume the food.
I learned that it’s possible to avoid to waste products by cooking cakes and other
recipes. On the Internet there are infinite recipes that show you how to save products.
Very often I prepare sweets and cake to finish milk, yogurt or fruits and in this way
I avoid buying pre packed food that I wouldn't finish. This also makes me save money.
a short “use by” date, look for a longer “use by” date or just plan to buy it on the
day you require it. This is linked to the step of planning your meals. You have to
eat first the food with a shorter “use by” date in order to avoid wasting them. Food
products are still safe to consume even after the indicated “best before” day. So
don’t be scared by the date. It only suggest you when it is better to consume the food.
I learned that it’s possible to avoid to waste products by cooking cakes and other
recipes. On the Internet there are infinite recipes that show you how to save products.
Very often I prepare sweets and cake to finish milk, yogurt or fruits and in this way
I avoid buying pre packed food that I wouldn't finish. This also makes me save money.
The last advice I can give to you is to freeze your food. If you sometimes cook extra
food or you don’t want to respect your schedule meals and eat something completely
different, take care of freezing it. Freezing food is a good way to preserve the food
qualities, if you know that you aren’t going to eat that food in a short time. My mom
usually freezes tomato sauce, bread and boiled vegetables. It’s a very easy method to
have food ready to be eaten. Especially when I’m tired or when I'm alone at home I
take frozen food, I put it in the microwave and then eat it. It’s very quick and easy.
food or you don’t want to respect your schedule meals and eat something completely
different, take care of freezing it. Freezing food is a good way to preserve the food
qualities, if you know that you aren’t going to eat that food in a short time. My mom
usually freezes tomato sauce, bread and boiled vegetables. It’s a very easy method to
have food ready to be eaten. Especially when I’m tired or when I'm alone at home I
take frozen food, I put it in the microwave and then eat it. It’s very quick and easy.
In conclusion there are thousands of ways to reduce food waste at home. Everyone
should play a role in this process and be active in saving the environment. As I said it’s not easy to change your habits especially when you are used to a great supply
of food at your disposal. I had some difficulties at the beginning, because I thought
that my food waste wasn’t so big and that I didn’t have this problem. I’ve understood
that everyone must reconsider their attitude toward food. Day by day I’m learning
new tips and improving my behaviour. With a very small effort we can easily change
the condition of the environment.
Works Cited
European Commission, “Food Waste”. Ec.europa.eu. European Union. 2016. Web.
7 Mar 2019.
7 Mar 2019.
European Commission. “Stop Food Waste”. Ec.europa.eu. European Commission. n.d Web.
7 Mar 2019.
7 Mar 2019.
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ReplyDeleteWOW, i would have never anticipated the fact that we waste so much food everyday. I think that all 3 ways to reduce food waste are very effective. I like the fact of planning your shopping because it also makes you become a more tidy and responsible person. Freezing the food is an awesome way to prevent food waste as it can be reused for even more than a couple weeks.
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