Waste fills Wembley EIGHT times

Our Cost of Living Campaign – Price Watch highlights the impact of price hikes and offers readers a sounding board for their concerns

IN THE UK households waste on average the equivalent of eight meals per week – that’s 87,000 tonnes of food waste in only seven days.

Over the course of a year, it is estimated that 6.6 million tonnes of food is wasted, 4.5 million tonnes of which is edible food (the rest consisting of used tea bags, egg shells and animal/fish bones) - enough to fill Wembley Stadium eight times over!

With the cost of living crisis biting ever deeper, JPIMedia contributor Steve Cain has compiled a list of top tips to not only reduce the amount of food we waste but also save money on our grocery shopping and household bills too.

Reducing food wastage and saving money starts at the supermarket! Being a savvy shopper can make a massive difference – and it isn’t difficult to do, either. Always check the dates on food. Buy “wonky” or irregularly shaped fruit and vegetables – they taste just as good and are often significantly cheaper than “perfect” produce.

You should also check to see that caps and lids are secured properly and have not been tampered with and open egg boxes to check that none are cracked or broken.

Look out for bargains including “Two for the price of one” and “Buy one get one free” but always make sure that you are taking advantage of the offer and that the offer isn’t taking advantage of you.

Get into the habit of checking your supermarkets’ “Reduced to clear” section. Often the yellow-stickered short-coded goods can offer savings of up to 75 per cent. Swap brandleaders for supermarket ownbrands. Get your goods home in premium condition. Invest in a cool-bag to transport chilled and frozen goods.

Keep an orderly Kitchen. Storing your food correctly can ensure it stays fresher for longer. Just as the supermarkets do, you should store the food in your cupboards, fridge and freezer in correct date rotation.

Invest in airtight containers (or retain tubs that once contained biscuit selections or chocolate assortments) to store dry goods such as crisps, cereal, pasta and rice. This will help prevent them from going stale.

Know the difference between “use by” and “best before”.

“Use by” refers to safety – “best before” refers to quality. After that date it will, in most cases, still be safe to eat but may have passed its peak.

Freeze food. Stock up on multi-buys and special offers. A full freezer is more economical to run as the cold air doesn’t need to circulate as much, so less power is needed.

Audit your pantry. Check your fridge once or twice a week.

Condiments (including apple sauce, mint sauce, mustard, etc) should only be kept for a maximum of four weeks once opened.

Cupboards should be checked monthly. You should ensure your fridge and freezer are kept at the correct temperatures: 5 or below for fridges; -18 or below for freezers.

Useful hints and tips to help you keep your produce in prime condition: Most fruit and vegetables are best kept in your fridge. Do not refrigerate aubergines and ginger as they may suffer from chill damage. Bananas are best kept at room temperature. Fruits that are refrigerated have a better flavour if brought up to room temperature. Bananas and other fruit ripen more quickly if kept in a fruit bowl with apples or citrus fruits. Potatoes must be kept in a cool dark place. Re-wrap leafy vegetables and salads to prevent drying. Mushrooms should be stored in the fridge, preferably in a paper bag. Always store pre-prepared salads and vegetables in the fridge.

Growing herbs must be kept according to the storage/ handling advice on the labels. Always wash your fruit and vegetables before use. Only prepare and cook enough to serve the number of people you intend to feed.

Use leftovers up. Add leftover vegetables to some stock and bulk up with pulses, rice or pasta to produce a tasty homemade soup or broth.

JPIMedia columnist Karen Wright, Great British Bake

Off finalist, also offers timely hacks for saving money while reducing food waste. She said: “When the price of gas and electricity hit the roof last week there were lots of tips on the news and social media about how to save money in the household budget to help limit the damage to our finances. I got my thinking cap on and came up with a few ideas of my own. The first thing is food shopping. Before going off to do the weekly shop, make sure you check your cupboards, fridge and freezer. Do a quick stock check of what you already have and figure out how and when to use them up. “For me, casseroles will be cooked in the slow cooker from now on and I will be making more stir fries and salads which are cheaper on energy use.

Batch baking and just trying not to keep heating up that oven from cold more than once a day will be top of my list.

“Finally, leftovers once again. A pastry plait only cost me £1. That was for the roll of puff pastry, everything else was leftovers or from my store cupboard.

“The filling was all leftovers from a Sunday roast.”