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Rachel Khoo

The Khoo Times

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Khoo Times

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Use up those leftovers: minimise food waste at home

Preventing food waste is something I'm extremely passionate about, and I'm proud to say my Khoollect team shares in my enthusiasm. We've spent hours discussing interesting ways to use up saggy vegetables, spruce up limp fruit, and recycle leftovers, and have shared lots of our magical (and sometimes not-so-magical) re-creations for lunch.

Yes, we're all guilty of letting the odd food product grow mould at the back of the fridge, but if we're just a little bit more mindful, then we can make a huge difference together. Last year I became an official supporter of the Think.Eat.Save campaign, which encourages households and businesses to think more carefully about food waste. Here's my basic tips and tricks to get you started at home:

1. Buy only what you need

Instead of buying loads of fresh ingredients or items likely to spoil, buy just enough to feed your household. There's no point buying 1kg of carrots just because they're on special at the shop, only to find half of them rotten at the bottom of your fridge several weeks later.

2. Create a waste-free menu

Carefully plan your weekly meals and write a concise lists of the ingredients you need. That way you won't get sidetracked at the supermarket and buy unnecessary extras.

3. Re-cycle leftovers

If you've got excess roast vegetables or some saggy produce lying around, turn them into a hearty soup, quiche, or fritters. Same goes with cakes and baking – many fruits and vegetables can be turned into delicious items or preserves, which you can have for your lunch or freeze for another occasion.

4. Freeze for later

If you've got too much of something, freeze it. Most fresh produce can be popped in the freezer, including herbs, fruit and more. You can always blend soups and smoothies and use them later.

5. Grow your own

If you grow your own, then you're more likely to eat it. When you're committing time and effort to producing your own food, then you're less likely to let it go to waste. Even if you have limited space, you can grow lots of food.

6. Steer away from heavily packaged items

Do just that little bit extra for the environment and try to buy fresh where possible and avoid bulky packaging and plastic shopping bags.

7. Compost your scraps

Compost your food scraps if you can, including fruit skins and vegetable peelings, and put them back on your vegetable patch (if you have one).

What are your tips for minimising food waste at home? Share your best kept secrets in the comments below or head over to the Khoollect forum and join the conversation there...

Head over to Khoollect for more great tips on how to reduce kitchen waste and shop responsibly. You'll also find lots of great interviews with ethically and sustainably-minded individuals.

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