Christmas can be a tricky time of the year. It most certainly means enjoying time with friends and family and far more shopping than usual, to cater for these gatherings. At this time of year, we tend to shop in bulk where possible for our convenience and it becomes easy to say yes to just about everything. But a variety of tasty food also means a higher amount of wastage.
With continuous rising costs, we simply cannot afford to throw away money so let’s talk about reducing our wastage over the holiday season. We have listed a few thoughts that are worth considering.
- BEFORE THE MEAL
Be realistic. The fear of not provision enough pushes us to cook too much. A little planning will go a long way to help you shop so that you can provide enough.
Plan ahead. Create a shopping list and stick to it. It will reduce the impulse of buying ridiculous amounts of food.
- DURING THE MEAL
The key to eating without wasting is to be aware of the amount on your plate so that you can control the amount of food that goes into the garbage. Encourage your guests to serve themselves. It helps them to feel more familiar and allows them to stick to their own limits.
- AFTER THE MEALS
Store leftovers properly. Spoiling will is reduced and the food can be enjoyed again at a later stage in different ways.
Instead of throwing out egg shells, scraps from vegetables and other food scraps, consider using them for homemade compost.
Reuse your scraps. Leftovers from vegetables and roasted turkeys or chicken can be easily boiled for stock or broth. Bread crumbs and crusts can be used for a bread pudding. Leftover roast can be used for easy sandwiches.
The silly season might seem daunting but the problems that we see, we have the power to fix. We just need to take a moment every day to be a little more responsible.
