Have yourself a Merry (food waste free!) Christmas
Tis’ the season to be jolly- especially with all the delicious holiday food to look forward to! Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones eating well this time of year. Our bins eat so well that they swallow up 2 million turkeys and 74 million mince pies each year. Don’t let this put a damper on your holiday spirit though – with some nifty planning and storing tips you’ll be well on your way to saving Spud, Slice and all their food friends from the bin. Here are some holiday food ideas to help ensure we all stay hap-pea this holiday season, Spud and Slice included!
Make a meal plan
Write down what you’re going to eat each day. You can use our
Festive meal planner (1000 downloads)
to help. Don’t forget to check what you already have in your refrigerator and cupboards. Then write your shopping list using the planner so when you hit the shops you know exactly what you want and don’t spend lots of extra time staring at the food laden shelves. For some more ideas on planning your meals, check out day 6 (six meals-a-planning) in our #12WasteFreeDaysofChristmas page.
Plan your portions
Whether you’ll be cooking for 2 or 10, or will be eating away from home most days, knowing in advance what your plans are will help to make sure that you have the right amount of food. The Love Food Hate Waste portion planner can help you work out how many carrots or potatoes you need for Christmas dinner. Simply put in what you want to cook, how many you’re cooking for and it will tell you how much you need.
Plan for the unexpected…
Of course, even the best laid plans, can get changed at this time of year. Thus, it pays to be prepared for the unexpected. Friends or family could pop in for a drink and still be there for dinner or after a particularly busy few days, a spontaneous meal out could be just the thing you need to help you relax. Both of these could throw your careful planning out the window, but it’s easy to be ready just in case.
Make sure you have some store cupboard staples (rice, pasta sauces, tins of tuna etc.) that can be added to any leftovers or other ingredients you have to create quick and easy meals for unexpected guests. If you do change your plans and go out to eat, then just remember to put the food you’re not going to get to eat in the freezer to use at another time.
Get ready to store those leftover ingredients
You’ll probably have extra cooked turkey after 25th December. It can be used as an ingredient in so many meals. Have a look at our collection of recipes for some fresh ideas. Before getting started make sure you have enough airtight containers and foil to store the turkey and other foods in your fridge ready to become a whole new meal.
There are lots of different ways to use up all your Christmas foods, and lots of places to look for ideas. Here are just 2 you could try – check out Love Food Hate Waste and #FestiveFreeze or you can check out day 10 (ten meals-a-keeping) for our #12WasteFreeDaysofChristmas.
How much have you spent so far on food for Christmas? A 2015 YouGov poll found the average proposed food and drink spend per household to be at £159. Let’s make the most of your festive food and make sure it gets eaten and not binned! Spud and Slice will thank you.
