Which tip would you pass on to your children to minimise food wastage? Tell Love Food Hate Waste for a chance to win £225 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

WRAP and its Love Food Hate Waste campaign, have asked us to find out what tips Mumsnetters have received and what tips Mumsnetters would pass on to help minimise food waste.

Here’s what WRAP say, “Love Food Hate Waste has carried out new research confirming that confidence and skills in the kitchen help everyone waste less food – in fact the average family can save £700 a year in the UK not buying and then throwing away good food and drink. We want to know what one thing you were passed on by your family which has helped you to make the most of your food and what’s the one thing you’d like to pass on to others or to your children for the future?”

So, what’s the best tip you’ve ever received? And likewise, what would you pass on to your children to help them minimise food and drink waste in the future? Perhaps you make meal plans at the start of the week so that you don’t buy any unnecessary food? Maybe you designate one meal each week to use up all the scraps in your fridge? Or maybe you’ve been taught how to save that burnt sauce or have a great way to get the family involved so that no food goes to waste? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

Mumsnetters also got involved in a survey for WRAP, you can view the results here.

Everyone who leaves their comment on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £225 voucher to a supermarket of your choice.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[Mummageddon]

My tip is you can pretty much freeze anything (google is your friend).
I peel/chop and freeze bits of fresh veg that would otherwise go off, then they end up in curries and casseroles.
I also think we waste less since the council brought in the brown food recycling bin, as it makes you more aware of how much you throw out.

[ngonizashe]

As a child, my mother regularly took me to foodbanks, where she volunteered. Recently I've taken my own children to the local foodbank where we have volunteered to help out for a few hours here and there.

Seeing the value food has to some families has helped my children to re-evaluate their own relationship with food. As a result, I've seen my children become more responsible with their food, choosing realistic portion sizes, understanding the value of a good nutritious meal, having a greater understanding of the food groups and what ingredients act as a vital part of our diet (and what our bodies will happily go without) Seeing other children coming into the food bank has really opened their eyes and now they have a 'respect' for food and appreciate every mouthful (even the veggies!)

[choccyp1g]

I don't suppose the supermarkets will like this one: always look at the dates on what you are buying and unless you are going to use it immediately get the longest date possible. If you just grab and bung, when you get home your weekly meal plan will go all to cock as you need to use all the expensive ingredients by the day after tomorrow.
I

[choccyp1g]

Notice I say the expensive stuff. Most vegetables will keep way beyond the sell by dates. Whereas cream, pate, cooked meats can be dodgy, and bagged salads, grapes, and bread rolls become distinctly unappetising close to their dates. ( as do crisps but they turnover pretty fast in most supermarkets)

[tshirtsuntan]

Eat your dinner, stop filling up on crap between meals!

[ChristmasEva50]

Plan ahead. Buy only what you need and use food in order.

[Shallishanti]

1. Leftovers = tomorrow's lunch for 1, or 2 people OR should be frozen for quick meal in the future
   
2. If less than a portion, feed to chickens !

[teddygirlonce]

A tip learned from frugal family friends - don't cook more than is needed.

And don't do shopping until your cupboards are all but bare!

And in this day and age there are some amazing recipe apps that will suggest a delicious meal out of a handful of leftovers and store-cupboard ingredients!

[Tzibeleh]

Label any leftovers in the fridge with the date they were made. That way you will never throw something out because you're not sure whether it is still safe to eat, and you will know that you need to use it up by a certain date.

[Roseformeplease]

Serve from communal dishes and don't plate up as then there is less wasted on the plate. It also means leftovers can be frozen.

Soup is your friend.

[chocomochi]

Bread is good until you can see the mould.

Soft fruit (strawberries/blueberries/raspberries)can be purees and frozen into ice cube trays, and used as lollies or in smoothies.

Blend all sorts of veggies into tomato sauce.

[GooodMythicalMorning]

Only cook what you need. Measure and weigh so that you don't create unnecessary wastage.

[ReluctantCamper]

Best tip I got was from a friend - left overs last a lot longer than you think. If they smell ok, you can eat them! My tip would be meal planning, like everyone else says. I honestly don't know how people handle. to knowing what they're cooking day to day.

[BathshebaDarkstone]

I only buy what we actually need each day. I check the cupboards and fridge and go through it meal by meal plus snacks for each person.

[meandjulio]

Learn which leftovers really do need to be treated carefully - like rice for example - and develop confidence in dealing with them. One of my favourite recipes is egg fried rice and I love it all the more because it will absorb all the leftovers you can throw at it.

Likewise, get better at working out real portion sizes for uncooked food - I always used to cook enormous portions of spaghetti because I wasn't sure how to measure it, and had unmanageable leftovers.

[AlexanderinaTheGreater]

Meal plan, preferably having checked in the fridge first to see if there's anything that needs using up. Then only buy the stuff you actually need.

[Keepcalmanddrinkwine]

Cook smaller amounts. If you have misjudged it, have something else (fruit, yogurt or a pud. I rarely misjudge it now and we have hardly any waste. It amazes me how big a portion some people will serve up.

[meep]

Buy frozen veg. Frozen broccoli is great on curries!!!

[Demonchops]

I meal plan and shop online to minimise purchasing unwanted/needed items.

[Baconknickers]

Make stir fry with left over veg or invest in an amazing whole food processer and bung in everything left over with veggie stock to make soups.

[cookietrue22]

Definitely meal plan and get inventive with leftovers. My kids have had some of the best meals when we base a meal around the ingredients we have in and use a bit of imagination. We rarely waste anything. Freeze what you can for later if you really can't use it today.

[BreconBeBuggered]

Meal-planning is key. Make a list when you go shopping, and don't let yourself be distracted by special offers unless you can store/freeze them.

We rarely throw out food, but I've learnt to cook the right amounts for a greedy family.

[missorinoco]

Meal plan. Take a smaller portion and you can always have more.
I try to encourage the children that f they ask for extra, or a larger portion, they need to finish it before they can have anything else.

[TsukuruTazaki]

Dont do a big shop, but buy as and when needed for specific meals. I have supermarkets and shops near work so can do this easily and don't end up with odd food lurking in the back the fridge to go off.

[Sorehead]

You don't have to cook the whole pack this means you DH!