11 October 2024
Valuing Your Food is Valuing the Planet

In honour of World Food Day, we’re focusing on how small, everyday actions can lead to a big impact when it comes to reducing food waste. By making simple changes to your daily routine, you can help ensure that perfectly good food doesn’t end up in the bin.
Here are five everyday habits to help you value your food more and waste less.
Practice First In, First Out (FIFO)
One of the simplest yet most impactful habits you can adopt is the “first in, first out” (FIFO) method. When unpacking groceries, place the newer items behind the older ones in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. By using what you bought first, you reduce the chances of food expiring or going bad before you get a chance to use it.

Get Creative with Leftovers
Leftovers aren’t just reheated versions of last night’s meal—they’re a base for something new. By thinking of leftovers as ingredients rather than scraps, you can create fresh and exciting dishes. For instance, leftover roast chicken can be transformed into a tasty sandwich, soup, or salad. Leftover roast vegetables can become the base of a delicious frittata and creamy soups, while cooked grains like rice can be turned into fried rice or arancini.

Don’t just eat it – Compleat it
When cooking with vegetables, don’t throw out perfectly edible parts like stems, leaves, and skins. Instead, embrace the practice of using every part of your vegetable. Carrot tops, for example, can be made into pesto, cauliflower leaves can be roasted, and broccoli stems can be sliced for stir-fries, fritters, or salads. This simple habit helps you get the most out of your produce and reduces waste.
Understand Dates Labels
Confusion over expiration dates leads to a lot of unnecessary waste. Best-before dates refer to the quality of the food, not its safety. Many items are still good to eat well after the best-before date has passed. Learning to trust your senses—smelling, tasting, and observing the texture of food to determine if food is still edible —can help reduce waste dramatically. Got more questions about expiry dates? See our FAQs.

Maximise Food Storage
Proper storage is key to making your food last longer. Keep ethylene-producing fruits like bananas and apples separate from other produce, as they speed up ripening. Freeze bread instead of storing it in the fridge to prevent staleness. Also, store potatoes and onions apart to avoid them from sprouting. For more storage tips, check out our A-Z storage guide. Simple changes like these will help keep your food fresh for longer and minimise waste.
By adopting just a few of these habits, you can make a significant difference in reducing your household’s food waste. These simple shifts in your daily life can lead to a ripple effect of positive change—saving you money, reducing your carbon footprint, and ensuring that valuable resources are used more efficiently.