Every day about one third of all food is wasted. And it’s not just the food, it’s the resources used to make it… water, energy and farmland. If we take care of wilting spinach, wrinkly veg and last night’s leftovers we can reduce food waste and be kind to our bank accounts!

 
Here are some quick ways to reduce the amount of food we throw away…

• Shop smart and buy ingredients that can be used in a variety of meals throughout the week.

 

• Always check the use by dates on food in supermarkets and hunt for the longest.

 

• Store food properly. The lower shelves in a fridge are a little colder, so they’re a better place for food at a bigger risk of going bad.

 

• Keep your bananas separate. They emit ethylene gas that quickly ripens other fruit – or use them to your advantage if you’ve got a hard avocado lying around!

 

• Crush fresh herbs with a bit of oil to make them last longer.

 

• Bulk cook and freeze your meals if you won’t be able to eat them in time.

 

• Lunch on your leftovers. Put what you can’t eat into a tupperware and eat it the next day for lunch.

 

• Find a tasty partner for your lonely leftover foods using the brilliant Love Food Hate Waste match up.

 

• Use your overripe wrinkly veg to make soups. We love this veggie soup recipe by Jamie Oliver…

Roasted cauliflower and coconut soup – Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 600g cauliflower
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon ras el hanout (spice)
• olive oil
• 1 handful of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 x 400g tin of reduced-fat coconut milk
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 2-3 tablespoons chilli oil

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350ºF/gas 4.
2. Peel and cut the onions into 1cm wedges and trim then cut the cauliflower into even-sized florets. If it has the leaves on, don’t cut them off, roast those too.
3. Place it all in a roasting tray with the unpeeled garlic cloves and sprinkle with the cinnamon and ras el hanout. Season well, and drizzle everything with a good glug of olive oil.
4. Toss it all together and pop into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and a little charred.
5. Scatter the coconut flakes on to a small tray and pop into the oven for the last few minutes to toast – they should only need 3 to 4 minutes.
6. When the veg are ready, remove the garlic cloves and scrape all the veg into a large saucepan. Squeeze the garlic out of its skins and add them too. Pour in the coconut milk, add the stock and gently bring to the boil.
7. Reduce the heat a little and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Using a stick blender, blitz the soup until creamy and smooth, adding a splash more water if it is too thick.
8. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve topped with the toasted coconut flakes and a drizzle of chilli oil.

 
Join Jamie’s Food Revolution to build a healthier, happier world through the joy of food! Join the Food Revolution for the latest on sustainable food, farming and cooking projects across the globe.

For more quick and easy recipes try these cookbooks:

Lean in 15

Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food

Nosh
 
 
Sources:

The Waste Free Kitchen Handbook by Dana Gunder

Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations