I’m on a mission to reduce my food waste and I’ll be checking in regularly on how I’m doing as part of #FoodWasteFriday.
How to avoid food waste traps
I want to share with you this TED talk on How to Avoid Food Waste Traps by Selina Juul. Selina founded the Stop Wasting Food movement in Denmark (which is a leading nation when it comes to reducing food waste). Selina goes through common food waste traps and ways to avoid them. I particularly like her tip to take a photo of the inside of your fridge before you go shopping so you can remember what you’ve already got.
#FoodWasteFriday check-in
In terms of my own food waste, since I last checked in on 24 February 2017, here’s my progress:
Demerit:
I wasted one apricot, two nectarines and a lemon. Each of them caught me of guard going bad in the fruit bowl seemingly overnight.
Gold star:
I used up a whole lettuce and a whole bag of mandarins. Both of these I’ve had problems with wasting in the past – yay, progress.
I’d given up buying lettuce or bags of salad greens as I never used them all before they went brown or slimy. Instead, I grow my own and pick as needed. A bit of bad planning meant there is a lull in my garden production, so I risked buying a lettuce and made sure I used it up.
I try to buy loose fruit, rather than bagged as there seems to be some sneaky bad fruit in every bag. I took all the mandarins out of the bag straight away and I think this helped.
On the Use It Up shelf
I keep the bottom shelf of my fridge clear, except for items that much be used up immediately – my Use It Up shelf.
The Use It Up Shelf in my fridge – 10 March 2017
On my Use It Up shelf currently is:
- some yoghurt
- a beetroot and carrot salad
- some veggie soup
- ¾ a red onion
- some salami
- a lemon
- salad dressing
- a leftover veggie pattie.
Not too many problems here, as it’s all in my meal plan to get used up over the weekend.
Join me
Feeling inspired to join me? I’d LOVE to have some buddies. Simply subscribe to the blog (it’s on the sidebar), get notified of my new posts and comment about your own progress. I’ll use the hashtag #foodwastefriday when I share my progress on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What’s your biggest food waste trap?
8 Comments
MrsKirstyHoll
March 10, 2017 at 11:05 pmWell done you! Love the photo idea and the use it up shelf idea. Great way to organise and reduce waste. Should stop stuff getting lost at the back of the fridge!
Amy @ More Time Than Money
March 11, 2017 at 7:23 pmThanks, it really does help a lot.
MrsKirstyHoll
March 10, 2017 at 11:05 pmWell done you! Love the photo idea and the use it up shelf idea. Great way to organise and reduce waste. Should stop stuff getting lost at the back of the fridge!
Amy @ More Time Than Money
March 11, 2017 at 7:23 pmThanks, it really does help a lot.
LucretiaSeeks
March 11, 2017 at 12:18 amThank you for posting – I especially like the ideas of the fridge photo and the ‘use it up’ shelf. I’m doing much better in many ways on the related topics of simplicity, economy, diet, and self-care since I moved to China. If there is food waste in my kitchen, it is usually vegetables I’ve allowed to go bad because I bought too much or wasn’t inspired to eat them. On the other hand, I’m doing much better eating all of my fruit.
One negative is eating out – I want to enjoy the culture and learn more about the different foods – I’m constantly on the search for the best cabbage – I love the way they do it here – sauteed with peppers, garlic, sometimes ginger, a little sesame oil. But oftentimes it is a crapshoot, and I end up with takeout that I don’t manage to eat.
BTW, I attribute my weight loss here to living more simply and cooking at home as well as growing accustomed to China-sized portions instead of American.
Thanks again for your blog!
Amy @ More Time Than Money
March 11, 2017 at 7:26 pmThanks so much. Food and culture as so connected. One thing I noticed in my travels to America is that not only are the portion sizes bigger, but everything food related: fridges, ovens, microwaves. It makes it really easy to over-buy, over-cook and over-eat.
LucretiaSeeks
March 11, 2017 at 12:18 amThank you for posting – I especially like the ideas of the fridge photo and the ‘use it up’ shelf. I’m doing much better in many ways on the related topics of simplicity, economy, diet, and self-care since I moved to China. If there is food waste in my kitchen, it is usually vegetables I’ve allowed to go bad because I bought too much or wasn’t inspired to eat them. On the other hand, I’m doing much better eating all of my fruit.
One negative is eating out – I want to enjoy the culture and learn more about the different foods – I’m constantly on the search for the best cabbage – I love the way they do it here – sauteed with peppers, garlic, sometimes ginger, a little sesame oil. But oftentimes it is a crapshoot, and I end up with takeout that I don’t manage to eat.
BTW, I attribute my weight loss here to living more simply and cooking at home as well as growing accustomed to China-sized portions instead of American.
Thanks again for your blog!
Amy @ More Time Than Money
March 11, 2017 at 7:26 pmThanks so much. Food and culture as so connected. One thing I noticed in my travels to America is that not only are the portion sizes bigger, but everything food related: fridges, ovens, microwaves. It makes it really easy to over-buy, over-cook and over-eat.