Did you know that in the Netherlands, we never eat a quarter of all our food? All that food is grown, processed, transported, cooled, and heated. We put a lot of energy into it. It's a shame when we waste energy and resources by throwing away unnecessary food. You too can help prevent food waste!
Looking for inspiration to prevent waste? These practical tips will help.
Tip 1 Check your stock
Before you go to the store, check what's still in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. This will prevent you from buying duplicates. Think about which items need to be used first. That way, you'll know what you really need.
Tip 2 Make a shopping list
Before you go shopping, plan what you'll be eating each day and who will be eating with you. If you only go grocery shopping once a week, it's best to create a weekly menu. This way, you won't forget anything and you won't be tempted to buy extra items at the store.
Tip 3 Kalso custom made
Cooking just the right amount can be tricky, especially with pasta, rice, and couscous, as these foods expand significantly during cooking. Measuring precisely how much you need prevents leftovers. A kitchen scale, measuring cup, or measuring cup can help with this. Do you have a larger portion of leftover food? Perhaps you can make someone else happy with it.
Tip 4 Don't forget your leftovers
Label a shelf in your refrigerator and put all leftovers, opened packages, and items that need to be used quickly there. That way you won't forget them.
Tip 5 Look, smell and taste
Keep an eye on the expiration date and use up products in time. A product with a "best before" date can often still be eaten after the expiration date. Use your senses and look, smell, and taste to assess the quality. Highly perishable products have a "Use By" date. This is the last day it is safe to eat. Use or freeze it before or on the expiration date.
Tip 6: Store or freeze
If you store leftovers properly, they're perfectly fine to eat later. Store them in a sealed container to protect them from drying out, bacteria, and other substances. Use stickers to label the contents and the date. Most leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for two days. You can also freeze leftovers. In the freezer, most leftovers will keep for three months.
Tip 7 Make something tasty with leftovers
Leftovers are always a winner! For example, in a soup, quiche, salad, omelet, or stir-fry. You can create all sorts of new and delicious dishes with leftovers. Get inspired by the recipe booklet, for example, with delicious, waste-free recipes. Download the free e-book with recipes.
Tip 8: Vegetables and fruit from the freezer
Frozen fruits and vegetables are not only just as healthy as fresh ones, but they also last much longer. You can easily take just the right portions out of the freezer. This way, you can prepare just the right amount and prevent waste.
Tip 9: Save old sandwiches
Regularly have leftover (old) sandwiches? Did you know that the average Dutch person saves about three sandwiches from the trash each week? Bread is therefore the most wasted product, while it's easy to prevent waste. Freeze bread and only take out the sandwiches you need that day. This way, you'll always have fresh bread. Toast it when it's stale, or make a delicious grilled cheese sandwich or French toast with it.
Tip 10 Freeze fresh herbs
Freeze fresh herbs? Absolutely! Finely chop the herbs and place them in an ice cube tray. Add oil, cover, and freeze. You can easily remove the correct portions from the freezer and then add them to the pan.
Tip 11 Check the refrigerator temperature
Set your refrigerator to 4°C. That's the ideal refrigerator temperature. This way, food stays fresh longer, and bacteria and mold have little chance to grow. You can use a refrigerator thermometer to check if your refrigerator is cold enough.
Tip 12: View the storage advice
Use the handy online storage guide from the Nutrition Centre and find storage advice for more than 2.000 products. This way, you'll always know how long you can keep an opened product, how to recognize spoilage, and the best place to store your products.
Tip 13 Waste-free coach
Do you also throw away food more often than you would like? Then you can call on the help of your own coach. Waste-free coach is an app from Milieucentraal that provides you with personalized tips on reducing food waste. Download the app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
Tip 14: Put the correct waste in the organic waste container
You can prevent food waste by buying, cooking, and storing it wisely. Bones, bones, and peels are allowed in the organic waste bin. Do you actually know what else is allowed in the organic waste bin? Discover what does and does not belong in the organic waste.Do you have any questions? Email our environmental coach Nelleke, she will be happy to help you.