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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I try to throw out as little food as possible and will often use foods beyond their "best before" date. I never worry about the date on eggs and as we use skimmed milk, it always seems fine a few days past date. If we have a large quantity of bread that is not fresh (but has little or no mould), I will make a bread pudding.

I have a couple of "go-to ' recipes for leftovers past their best. If I have a large quantity of root vegetables, I will chuck them in the slow cooker with some meat to make a casserole. I can use a whole load of veg this way and then, once we've all had casserole (family of 6) the remainder can be stored in the freezer.

My second go-to recipe; which is great if I have left-over meat, is to make our own version of a jambalaya. I start by bringing a large pan of rice and stock to boil & then throw in diced bits of anything I have - leftover roasted meat, sausages, meatballs, sandwich meat etc and then add diced veg such as peppers, onions, corn, broccoli - the list is restricted only by personal taste. The food is all stirred into the rice and cooked until all the liquid is absorbed. My four children all love this meal and, if there is any left, will take it to school/work the following day and eat it cold 😊

I always use food after its best before and sell by dates. I use the look and smell test. If I can't eat it all it goes in the freezer. Cheese, spinach, kale, meat etc all goes in freezer. For fruit that's getting bit mushy it goes in blender for smoothies and frozen if not consumed straight away. Children's yoghurt pots go in freezer.

In the past I dread to think how much money I wasted throwing stuff out just because if a date stamped on the packet. It's ridiculous!

I don't tend to take much notice of either BB or Use by, I go by look, smell & taste. As long as it looks ok and its not gone funky I think it's fine to consume. As vegetarians we don't have to worry about meat, I may be a little more weary about this.

I find packaging opened products in tupperware helps keep things fresher for longer & prevents fridge burn. I also freeze stuff if I don't think I'll use it up in time.

I make a soup at the end of the week , which is a great way of using an left overs.

I’m quite flexible about ‘best before’ dates but I do take great notice of ‘use by’, especially with meat and dairy even if meat is still in date and smells wrong, I won’t use it. I like to make up a big batch of pancake batter if I have eggs which are about to go out of date, or ‘eggy bread’ - a household favourite!

Have a batch cook session and freeze meals for those days where you don't have time too cook. Also, there are so many apps you can use to get ideas to cook the things you have left in your fridge

anything can be turned into a pie or a pastie - sweet or savoury - i always have puff pastry in the freezer and its amazing the combinations we come up with. nearly all go down well!

I am a firm believer in the 'sniff test'...if it smells ok it probably is! I often raid the bottom of my fridge to use random bits of chorizo and veg that have gone past their best to make a tasty frittata.

If it passes the sniff test, it gets used! Dates mean little if it looks and smells OK.

I did learn my lesson when a sniff test failed with minced beef, and I decided using it anyway. Food poisoning was not pleasant and made me more cautious than previously!

Other, every now and again the husband is served a dinner of "bits" where I've used up fresh and frozen things and the meal is highly random with multiple items on the plate!

I use best before and use by dates as a guide really.

I usually freeze anything thats getting close to it's date and I always make a big pan of soup on a Sunday to use up old food and just chuck everything in it. I then freeze the soup in small portions for my lunch at work.

i use BBDs as a guide - my tip is to cook it up - and take it into work and share it - better than chucking it and you get loads of brownie points

I throw all old veg that still smells okay into a stir fry or pasta bake. Things like yoghurt are fine past their sell by date as long as it smells okay. I rarely waste food unless it's mouldy bread (usually I keep bread in the freezer and just take out slices as required) and have never been ill from my own cooking.

I’m all about freeze. Prep before if necessary (potatoes into mash for example)

I hate waste and I don't throw things away just because they're past their best before date. I'm stricter with meat and use by dates though. We have 5 DC and don't always manage to eat at the same time due to activities etc, so I keep an eye on what's needing to be used up and try to incorporate that into a meal for someone.

Use by I always make sure I buy the right amount or can freeze as much as possible if short dates - it's a difficult art at times and it does take planning to make sure we buy what is needed for shopping and the family do get annoyed at times haha when I say x meat needs to be in sandwiches the next couple of days

Best before I go on how it looks first then smell, I don't need to smell something that is already looking rather funky..

I will eat things after the best before date but will always go by what the look/ smell like. I am more wary with use by dates and make sure that I use things by then. I plan my meals for the week so meat and fish won't go over the use by date but have bought things that are on offer as the use by date is that day and will freeze it. You can usually tell with meat if it is on the turn as it goes greyer in colour. If I have fruit on the turn I will make healthy smoothies and veg I will use to make soups or stews. One of our family favourites is vegetable bake with whatever veg is on the turn, sprouts, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, greens with some fried onion and beans on the side makes a cheap meal.

We tend to stick to use by dates on fresh stuff, but not so much with best before dates, and we're pretty good about minimising food waste. Fussy children means boringly predictable meals!

But I will chop and freeze vegetables which I won't get round to using fresh. They eventually end up in curries or fajitas.

I also often have an omelette at the end of the week to use up odds and ends (e.g. tomatoes, other veg, sliced meat).

If it looks and smells ok I usually do eat it. Just make sure that everything is cooked very thoroughly. If it's salad or veg my tip is that everything tastes good in a wrap!

I trust my judgement on the best before dates.
The use by if I know I'm not going to use it if possible I will freeze it till its needed or cook it off first then freeze.
We are a family of 5 oñ a low income we waste as little as possible

Smoothies and banana bread for fruit.

Best before dates dont concern me as such i use my eyes and nose before using products with these. I use my freezers a lot to save wasting foods that i might be able to use up another time. I often google recipes to use up certain ingredients not all of these are a success but it varies our meals up a bit.
Ive turned burgers into meatballs to have with pasta and sauce when no one fancies a burger. Leftover gammon gets added to a potato and broccoli bake served up with crusty bread.
Veg on the turn gets chopped/blanched and frozen in dump bags for slow cooker casseroles.

I dry bread and make breadcrumbs, I chop and freeze any leftover vegetable. I make smoothies from fruits.

Lots of things we still use if it's only a few days after Best before date.
Most of my meat is in the freezer so I only take out when we would cook and eat on that day.

I came from a family where waste was a sin, that stayed with me. my nanny used to say do you think we could have of worried about that in the war. I tend not to get hung upon dates. my daughter had an apple and said the use by date is tomorrow i said if you picked that off nanny's tree would you look for a sale date. I tend to not over buy, I use the freezer, I batch cook so we don't get much out of date, if its veg that look bit lack luster i juice them or make soup i make a lovely fruit bread and a apple cake .

If it smells fine, we eat it! The only exception is when yoghurt smells ok but is a bit fizzy, then I relent and bin it!

Regarding fresh foods that are past their best:
Tomatoes: I use in a spag bol along with tinned plum toms (I never buy readymade Bolognese sauce as it is so easy, and cheaper, to make)
Soft fruit such as peaches/plums: make a basic sponge mixture and add them (though not too many as they add moisture to the sponge and so you could be left with a soggy bottom!)
Bananas: if slightly past their best, make a smoothie (same with soft fruit above). Or if quite black, they are ideal to make banana cake.
Carrots: grate them into meals (such as spag bol or chicken stew/supreme etc) to make the meals go a tad further and up the veg count.

As for other veg, I have given up buying fresh broccoli as I have left it to go brown so often then binned it. I now buy it frozen - so much better as we waste none of it now. I also buy frozen mixed veg which gets scattered into various dishes to boost my children's veg intake, though that said, they are fine eating veg anyhow.

Other food tips: I usually make slightly too much at dinner time so I can freeze down a portion, which my husband can have as a ready meal when he gets in. (I work shifts). I also freeze down leftover mashed potato - handy for when I'm doing dinner for just one of my kids.