How Can We Prevent Waste in the Kitchen?

How Can We Prevent Waste in the Kitchen?

Wastage is consuming, wasting and spending more than necessary, unnecessarily.

Food waste, on the other hand, is the excessive or unconscious use of the food produced and going to waste without being consumed. Food waste occurs when the food produced from the field to the supply chain, from the points of sale to our homes and to our tables is wasted, destroyed or cannot be consumed.

Approximately one-third of the world's food is lost or wasted each year. In Turkey, 93 kilograms of food is thrown away per person every year. This amounts to 17 per cent of ready-to-eat food in retail outlets, households and restaurants going directly to waste globally.

Food waste can both damage the household economy and have a negative impact on the environment. Preventing waste in the kitchen contributes to your budget while also helping to protect our environment. It is possible to reduce food waste with many simple methods, from planning a weekly menu to learning the correct storage conditions. By choosing healthy and satisfying foods, reviewing your shopping habits and increasing your food awareness, you can prevent waste in the kitchen and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. In this way, you can both positively affect your health and protect our planet. Let's take a look at the tips that will help you avoid waste in the kitchen:

You can plan the menu for the next week and create your shopping list according to these ingredients. Thus, you will also prevent food waste by not buying surplus products. With the prevention of food waste, you can see that your kitchen costs are also reduced.
You can buy foods and snacks that are filling and satiating. It is quite easy to eat half a packet of crisps in one sitting. In contrast, it is more difficult to eat 3-4 handfuls of nuts or apples in one go. Considering that about 4 apples are about the same price as a large bag of crisps, you can evaluate which one will satisfy your hunger for longer. A study shows that unsatisfying food makes people want to eat more often, which can lead to higher food costs.
Instead of going shopping on an empty stomach, you can consume fruit or some nuts before going shopping. Thus, you can prevent excess calorie intake and food shopping due to hunger.
If fresh produce, poultry and fish are on sale, you can prioritise these foods on your shopping list and plan your weekly menu accordingly. If these are your favourite foods, you can buy large quantities and freeze them for later use. Fresh meats, fish and some other foods (bananas, strawberries, avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, corn) are among the foods that can be frozen and kept in your refrigerator for a long time.
You can try buying non-perishable staple foods in bulk. Whole grains, lentils and dried beans may cost more to buy in a ‘family-sized’ pack, but the cost per unit is usually lower.
If you do not plan to freeze the food you buy, do not buy more perishable goods than you can use within a week. For example; When buying foods such as curd cheese with a shelf life of less than 3-4 days, try not to buy more than the amount you can consume. Otherwise, you may face the risk of food spoilage and food waste. You can learn how to store products correctly for a longer shelf life and increase the shelf life of foods by preserving their freshness. Since perishable foods such as ready-to-eat bagged salad greens, mushrooms, strawberries, avocados and bananas are foods that can spoil quickly when storage conditions are not suitable, it is necessary to pay attention to the storage conditions of such foods.
Before you buy, you can try new recipes with products from home. By making a habit of taking an inventory of all the food in your kitchen twice a month, you can highlight the products in the back of your cupboard and plan meals based on these ingredients. Thus, you will avoid wastage and excessive food shopping in the kitchen to a great extent!
Practising mindfulness during meals (known as eating mindfulness) will also have a positive effect on how long the food you eat keeps you full. You will also find that you feel full with smaller portions. Conversely, eating while distracted can make you feel hungry more quickly and make you eat more food later.

Source:

T.C. Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı, 2024. Gıda israfı ve gıda atığına genel bakış Access date: 16.08.2024. https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Detay.aspx?SayfaId=77
Harvard T.H. Chan. (2022). Strategies for Eating Well on a Budget. Access date: 16.08.2024 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/strategies-nutrition-budget/