To mark Stop Food Waste Day, food services business Compass Group has today published a food waste cookbook to minimise the amount of food that gets thrown away at home and help take the pressure off already-stretched household budgets.
Featuring recipes from 45 chefs across 30 countries, Compass Group’s new recipe book includes a range of delicious starters, main courses and desserts; each thoughtfully created using ingredients that most commonly go to waste in home kitchens, including stale bread, bruised fruit & vegetables, and discarded peels.
The free resource also includes a list of 10 handy tips for home cooks from Compass Group’s professional chefs designed to inspire families to adjust their daily food habits and maximise the potential of the food they buy, benefitting not only the environment but their pockets too.
10 TIPS TO STOP FOOD WASTE AT HOME
- MAKE A LIST – the average family of four loses $3,800 a year on wasted food. Plan ahead by making a list and only buying what you know you’ll need.
- LEARN THE ART OF FREEZING – Each of us throws away around 130kgs of food each year. Get in the habit of freezing leftovers, bread, vegetables and fruit, instead of tossing them in the bin.
- HELP SAVE WATER – Wasting 500g of beef is equivalent to running the shower for 370 minutes. The longer meat is left out in room temperature, the quicker it will spoil. Always shop for meat, poultry and seafood last and go directly home to put it away.
- REVIVE YOUR VEGGIES – A quick soak in ice water for 5-10 minutes can revive wilted veggies. Even if they can’t be restored, some vegetables you intended to eat raw in your salad can still shine in a cooked dish.
- LESS AIR = LESS FREEZER BURN – This is what happens when food oxidizes in the freezer. You probably won’t eat a whole loaf of bread at once, so slice it up and pop it in the freezer. Always squeeze any excess air from plastic bags and containers as, while freezer burn is harmless, it does affect taste.
- OVERCOOKED ISN’T OVER FOR GOOD – Overcooked vegetables can always be transformed into soups or sauces. Just toss them in the blender with soup stock, milk, or cream. Vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and potatoes are excellent for this.
- DON’T BE BANANAS – Browning or spoiled bananas are perfectly fine to eat. Bruised parts of bananas may be easily cut away or used, while very brown bananas and frozen bananas are great for baking quick breads, muffins, or cakes.
- WASTE LESS WITH KIDS – Start with small portions and minimise untouched food. We want our kids to try new foods, but studies show many children have to try a food up to 15 times before accepting it. You can always offer seconds when they’re interested.
- USE IT UP – 90% of us throw away food too soon. Cook recipes during the week that will use up the food that’s about to go bad in your pantry or refrigerator. Just because your lettuce is wilted doesn’t mean it’s time to toss it.
- GET CREATIVE – Food waste costs the Australian economy $20 billion each year. Avoid wasting food by seeing what needs to be used up before you go to the supermarket. Think of a meal to make with those items, check your kitchen cupboards for the rest of the ingredients and add missing pieces to the shopping list.
The digital Stop Food Waste Day cookbook is available to download now from the Stop Food Waste Day website, which also includes further details of how individuals, families and businesses can get involved in the global #stopfoodwasteday movement.
