Think before you buy and bin 🍊

Having lots of food waste basically means throwing money and perfectly good meals in the bin. As a student, every slice of bread and leftover portion can matter.

A few small habits can really make a difference, helping you save cash, cut waste and make your kitchen a nicer place to be. Here are our top 5 ways to cut down on food waste. 

1. Shop with a plan 🛒

But keep it realistic! You don't need a full meal plan or spreadsheet, just: 

• Check your fridge, freezer and cupboards before you go. 
• Plan 3-5 meals of the week, not all of them. 
• Make a quick shopping list on your phone and stick to it – no impulse buying.

2. Learn your 'use by' vs 'best before' dates 🗓️

This easy hack can save you loads of food.

Use by = safety. 

Eat or freeze before the use by date, especially meat, fish, dairy and ready meals. 

Best before = quality.

Food is usually fine after the best before date, just maybe not perfect. Use your eyes and nose to tell if an item is still fresh enough to use. 

3. Make use of your freezer 🥶

Your freezer can act as a pause button for food going off, and a lot of people don't take advantage of this. Here's what you can do: 

• Freeze bread and toast is straight from frozen. 
• Freeze leftover cooked rice, pasta, grains and sauces in portions. 
• Freeze chopped onions, peppers, herbs and grated cheese (you can chuck these in the pan when you want to cook them). 

If something is getting close to its date and you have no plan for it, freeze it now, not tomorrow. 

4. Love your leftovers ❤️

Thinking of binning your leftover ingredients? These random bits can add up to full meals, so before you bin: 

• Turn your leftover veggies into stir fries, omelettes, pasta sauces or tray-bakes. 
• Roast any veg that's starting to look a bit floppy and use it in wraps, rice bowls or on instant noodles. 
• Blend your soft fruit into smoothies, stir it into yoghurt or add to overnight oats.

If it's not mouldy and doesn't smell weird, it can still be used in one way or another. 

5. Store food like a pro 🫙

From organising your fridge space to knowing how to properly store specific ingredients, there's so many little hacks that can help keep your food fresher for longer, and help you keep track of it.

Here's just a few tips:

• Don't pack the fridge so full that air can't circulate. 
• Use one fridge shelf or box as an 'eat me first' zone for anything that needs using up soon.
• Keep salad leaves in a tub with a bit of kitchen roll to absorb moisture.

You don't have to be perfect, just start with one or two of these to get into the habit. Your bin (and your bank balance) will definitely notice the difference). 

If you do have food waste, make sure to use the dedicated food waste bins in your halls.