Mumsnet users share tips and recipes for using up food with Sainsbury's

[EllieMumsnet]

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‘Best before’, ‘use by’, ‘display until’…many of us are confused about what the dates on food labels really mean, and whether it’s safe to eat food that has passed the deadline. Sainsbury’s is on a mission to get to the bottom of this confusion and bust the myth that you can’t use food past its ‘best before’ date, therefore they would love you to share your top tips and recipes for using up food which has passed its ‘best before’ deadline.

Here’s what Sainsbury’s has to say: “We know that there is a lot of confusion between ’best before’ and ’use by’ dates, which is why are working with Mumsnet to dispel the myths about food date labels and to stop food from being thrown away that is still good to eat. After we found out through a previous Mumsnet thread that many of you throw away food that is past its ‘best before’ date, we created the below video to encourage people to rethink and make sure their food doesn’t end up in the bin”

Do you use the smell test on food that’s passed it’s ‘best before’ date and if it smells fine do you think it’s then it’s ok to be eaten? Have you got any easy recipes that are your go-to’s for using up food? Or maybe there are certain foods which you know will be fine past their ‘best before’?

Take a look at the video and share with us your top tips and recipes for using food which has gone past its ‘best before’ dates to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Sainsbury’s voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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Definitely pay less attention to use by dates. Some food stuff we have is a week over the date and is still perfectly fine to consume

freezing herbs and veg just before their best before helps lots. Chopping up herbs that can be added to food as it is cooked and veg can always be blended down to makes sauces.

meat is very versatile if you make a base and they create different meals eg: mince can be shepherds pie, chilli, spag bol and meatballs. Batch cooking saves pennies too

I do the frozen coriander, once frozen it can be crumbled intocurry or other dishes.

I go by look and smell rather than dates.

Left over cooked veg - i make a cheese sauce, pour it over and bung in the oven for 20mins.

Meal plan, we as a family create a meal plan each Sunday, anything we can pre-cook that day and freeze we do but we then make use of any likely leftovers in the days meals that follow or use them for light lunches/snacks etc. If we have enough leftover then we will freeze.

I tend to ignore the best before date and rely on what the food looks and smells like. Old bread is fine for making breadcrumbs which can then be frozen and veg that are past their best can be great in a bubble and squeak.

Freeze what’s not being used or use for soup or pasta. Fruit is good for smoothies and any meat left over from a meal is perfect for work sandwiches. I hate throwing away food so always try to make something from it either for us or for a neighbour or in laws.

Make a large pot and freeze a good amount of it to cover you. This way littles wasted.

We don't really end up with leftovers or food to use up because all our meals are planned and we shop for exactly what we need. Avoiding it in the first place is pretty useful!

Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan! Only buy what you know you're going to eat.

I find that we have hardly any waste now that we plan our meals for the week as we compile our shopping list. It's far easier to consider how you're going to use up any leftovers in advance and plan round that, as opposed to being left with spare food that doesn't 'fit' anywhere.
I'm also a big fan of the 'cook once, eat twice' rule coz I'm fundamentally lazy it saves effort.

We often transform one meal, say spag bol, into a chilli for the next night by adding extra veg and beans to a bit of the leftover pasta sauce.

As for use by/sell by dates, a bit of common sense goes a long way... if smells bad and is covered in mould, don't eat it. If it looks fine, smells fine and is only a couple of days over, you're probably fine. I find that 'best before' dates are always every conservative estimates anyway.

I use lots of stuff after its best before date. I usually go off the feel of it and the smell. If bread has mould its obviously a no, if its a little stiff but there's no mould on it I use it for toast. No point in wasting it!

I don't take much notice of best before and use before dates other than to use them as a guide. I ate a yoghurt last night dated BB 25.2.18 - I didn't actually realise that was the date until I had eaten it and it tasted absolutely fine. Vegetables and I make a stew with and fruit I chop up and make a fruit salad. The only food I am careful with his chicken as I find this does go off really weekly. I try to freeze it straight away and get out each day as I need for meals so waste very little.

In terms of veg, I usually keep these past their sell-by date because they're usually fine. When it comes to fish & meat - I eat all the seafood first, then cook the meat that is expiring soonest- I simply eat and cook in order of when it needs to be used so that things don't end up being wasted. I also save leftovers for up to 3 days and use them for lunches.

I always freeze leftovers if possible. Stews are a great way for using up older veg too.

ANY veg left over just cut them smaller add two or three eggs and make a frittata. You'll have a dinner there.

Use your freezer! Rather than throwing away the dregs of herb packets and overripe bananas - freeze them!

I freeze anything freezeable as soon as possible but for perishables it depends on how it appears how I'll use it. Veggies for instance usually go in a salad or as part of meat and two veg but if they are a bit sd looking they will go in a soup .

I use the smelling guide with food.
The boyfriend is pretty good, if I have things that are going out of date I make him cook with them and come up with a meal. I haven’t been disappointed yet!

I freeze food which I know I won't eat by it's best before date.

I also like to bulk cook food and then freeze it into portions, which means I always have "ready meals" on hand for when I can't be bothered to cook.

For best for use my senses to see if it ok to eat. For any left over hard bread turn into bread crumbs and freeze, great for recipes where bread crumbs are required

We use left over meat and veggies in pasta bakes or casseroles. We use fruit in crumbles or fruit salads.

I think this is a generational / class thing. I grew up in the 70s on a council estate and money was really tight - we ate what we were given and we NEVER EVER over bought food - and half the time you could only actually buy it when it was in season and we normally didnt have enough.

Now people are wondering why they have too much food? Its because you have too much money to spend on it, and everything is available to tempt you to spend all year round - you can bet the people short of cash will be reading this and wishing they had the same problem - not having a go here just checking into reality for a while.

I use everything before the use by dates and if I have a little bit of food over it just goes on tomorrows menu - then i buy less when i go to the shops. Any left over veggies are chopped and frozen ready to throw into a casserole/slow cooker dish. I think over the last 5 years the only thing I have let go limp was some lettuce and the rabbits finished that off (and no it was not iceberg before someone tells me it gives them diarraohea I do know that).

Just spend literally 15 mins a week with a little chalk board, let everyone choose what they want and just keep to it.

Must admit I do over buy tins all year round, but the road gets shut up here in snow so we almost none left now - if you only buy things that last a very long time you can actually plan to eat them before they go out of date.

Why not for every item you throw in the bin you buy two items to put into the local food bank collections? They always have trolleys at supermarkets after the checkouts just waiting for a gift.

With fruit which is past its BBE we normal blend it in a smoothie or add it to our overnight oats if it is a little soft.

The only thing we have to be careful with is bread as I have a penicillin allergy and any spots of mould on bread gives me a bad reaction.

We do tend to fill our freezer with things we don't use in time and they can be defrosted and used at a later date.

I largely ignore dates, I go by look and smell. With fruit & veg I tend to chop out any bad bits and still use the rest - soup & curry is a good way to use any that are a bit on the sad side, but not yet fit for compost.

Slightly stale bread makes better breadcrumbs than fresh, and they freeze fine. This is a fantastic recipe to use up breadcrumbs www.curryfrenzy.com/curry/recipes/Easy-Curry-Cake.html (goes well with hummus, as a side dish for curries, or use instead of fallafels in a wrap)

Growing up my Dad would never throw anything away unless it is obviously 'off'. Now I have my own children i also do the same, i buy from the shops with the longest best by date and store correctly. Most the vegetables I use go way past the 'date' shown as long as it has no mould etc i always use it. But if my veg needs used up quickly i put everything in a big pot and make a soup, it can be heated up or put in the freezer. The only things I wont use past the sell by date is milk as it always smells off after the date shown and I am very weary of meat. Again if meat needs used on that day I will make a simple bolognese, chilli or curry and put it in the freezer.

If the left over food is already cooked vegetables, or pasta, then i will either add these to a subsequent curry or bolognese type dish.